NSSDCA ID: 1972-061A-02
Mission Name: Meteoroid Technology SatelliteThis experiment measured the velocity of impacting micrometeoroids, using two thin-film capacitors and measuring the time-of-flight between them. Due to difficulties with the spacecraft, this experiment had to be turned off two weeks after launch, but it was turned on again for 1 week in August 1974.
The instrument consisted of two detectors spaced a known distance apart. The front detector is a thin film polysulfone capacitor with a penetration thickness of about 8000 angstroms. The rear station is a 0.013 mm (0.0005 in) stainless steel sheet forming the front plate of a capacitor bonded to the rear surface. A timer is started when the particle penetrates the front capacitor station, and stopped when the particle penetrates the rear station capacitor. Each front capacitor is a 2.54 x 2.54 cm (1 x 1 in) box, giving a total area of 6.45 square cm (1 square inch). They were mounted on an 8 x 8 grid, giving one velocity detector with an area of 20.32 x 20.32 cm (8 x 8 in). Twelve velocity detectors in total were mounted in pairs on the hull of the spacecraft. They could measure velocities in the range of 3 to 100 km per second.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Dr. David R. Williams
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. William H. Kinard | Other Investigator | NASA Langley Research Center | w.h.kinard@larc.nasa.gov |
Mr. Paige D. Burbank | Other Investigator | NASA Johnson Space Center | |
Mr. Jose M. Alvarez | Principal Investigator | NASA Langley Research Center |