NSSDCA ID: SRD-11C
SOLRAD 11C is one of three identical cylindrical satellites to be placed in a circular equatorial orbit of 20 earth radii and stationed 120 deg apart with their spin axes pointed at the sun. The satellites, which are 76.20 cm in diameter 60.96 cm long, will provide 100 percent real-time, continuous monitoring of solar x-ray, UV, and energetic particle emissions. The instrumentation includes a solar x-ray flare monitor (0.5 to 60 A), a solar wind monitor (25 to 2000 eV), a solar proton monitor (1 MeV to 1 BeV), a UV/chromospheric emission monitor (1080 to 1350 A), and an f-layer electron density detector (170 to 600 A). The solar x-ray flare monitor will cover various segments of its bandwidth with ionization chambers, geiger counters, and scintillator detectors. The solar wind and solar proton monitors will use particle detectors. The UV/chromospheric emission monitor will use ionization chambers to cover two intervals in its bandwidth, while the f-layer detector will consist of a photometer. Other detectors may be included in the payload depending on the results of NRL experiments on SOLRAD 10, OSO 4, and OSO 6. These detectors will include a hard x-ray monitor (0.8- to 0.6-A scintillator and 0.1 to 6-A ionization chamber), a solar electron temperature detector (1- to 5-A ionization chamber), a UV continuum monitor (1500 to 1700-A photometer), an a flare precursor detector measuring discrete line emissions between 1 and 25 A (fixed Bragg crystal spectrometer). The spin-stabilized satellites will require an orbital Shuttle to boost them into their extremely high earth orbit. They also contain a radioactive power supply that will provide 35 w of power. The satellites are designed to operate for 2 yr. They will be replaced by similar three-satellite constellations launched a 2-yr intervals thereafter.
Launch Date:
Launch Vehicle:
Launch Site: , United States
Mass: 102.15 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Capt Ernest W. Peterkin | Project Manager | US Naval Research Laboratory | |
Mr. Robert W. Kreplin | Project Scientist | US Naval Research Laboratory | krekpi19@idt.netkreplin@ssd0.nrl.navy.mil |