NSSDCA ID: 1965-068A-06
Mission Name: Gemini 5The space object radiometer experiment was designed to study the spectral irradiance from numerous earth and atmospheric objects at wavelengths from 0.2 to 15 microns. The instrumentation consisted of two interferometer spectrometers and a multichannel spectroradiometer, each with 2-deg field of view. This same instrumentation was used in experiment 65-068A-05 to study celestial subjects. The radiometer system consisted of a photomultiplier tube (IP 28) operating in the 0.2- to 0.6-micron spectral band, a 1- to 3-micron band lead sulfide detector, and a 4- to 15-micron band bolometer detector. One spectrometer was a dual channel instrument patterned after the Michaelson interferometer. It consisted of a lead sulfide detector (1 to 3 microns) and a bolometer detector (3 to 15 microns) that provided correlative information to the two similar channels of the spectroradiometer. The other interferometer spectrometer utilized a mercury-doped geranium detector that operated in the 8- to 12-micron range. It was cooled with liquid neon to maintain a temperature of -397 def F for approximately 15 hr. Some data from the experiment were stored on the spacecraft. Real-time FM data were telemetered to selected ground stations. Measurements of nighttime IR radiation were obtained from water, cloudtops, various types of terrain and ground cover, and several missile launches. Although there were malfunctions in the onboard recorder and in the radiometer filter wheel, the experiment was considered successful. Three hr and 10 min of data were gathered for this and the celestial radiometer experiment.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
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Maj B. Brentnall | Principal Investigator | US Air Force Systems Command |