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 Solar Mesosphere Explorer (Explorer 64) satellite | |
| Names | Explorer 64 Solar Mesosphere Explorer |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth observation |
| Operator | NASA / LASP |
| COSPAR ID | 1981-100A |
| SATCAT no. | 12887 |
| Mission duration | 7.5 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer LXIV |
| Spacecraft type | Solar Mesosphere Explorer |
| Bus | SME |
| Manufacturer | Ball Space Systems |
| Launch mass | 437 kg (963 lb) |
| Dimensions | Cylinder: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) diameter by 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) high |
| Power | Solar panels and nickel-cadmiumd batteries |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 October 1981, 11:27 UTC |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta 2310 (Thor 639 / Delta 157) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-2W |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 6 October 1981 |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 31 December 1988 |
| Last contact | 4 April 1989 |
| Decay date | 5 March 1991 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 535 km (332 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 551 km (342 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.56° |
| Period | 95.50 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Ultraviolet ozone spectrometer Micrometer spectrometer Nitrogen dioxide spectrometer Four-channel infrared radiometer Solar ultraviolet monitor Solar proton alarm detector | |
Explorer Program | |
The Solar Mesosphere Explorer (also known as Explorer 64) was a NASA spacecraft to investigate the processes that create and destroy ozone in Earth's upper of the atmosphere of Earth. The mesosphere is a layer of the atmosphere extending from the top of the stratosphere to an altitude of about 80 km (50 mi). The spacecraft carried five instruments to measure ozone, water vapor, and incoming solar radiation.[1]