The Early Explorers by Andrew J. LePage August 8, 1999 Among these programs were the next generation of Introduction Explorer satellites the ABMA was planning. In the chaos that swept the United States after the launching of the first Soviet Sputniks, a variety of The First New Explorers satellite programs was sponsored by the Department The first of the new series of larger Explorer satellites of Defense (DoD) to supplement (and in some cases was the 39.7 kilogram (87.5 pound) satellite NASA supplant) the country's flagging "official" satellite designated as S-1. Built by JPL, the spin stabilized program, Vanguard. One of the stronger programs S-1 consisted of a pair of fiberglass cones joined at was sponsored by the ABMA (Army Ballistic Missile their bases with a diameter and height of 76 Agency) with its engineering team lead by the centimeters each. The scientific payload consisted of German rocket expert, Wernher von Braun. Using instruments to study cosmic rays, solar X-ray and the Juno I launch vehicle, the ABMA team launched ultraviolet emissions, micrometeorites, as well as the America's first satellite, Explorer 1, which was built globe's heat balance. This was all powered by a bank by Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (see of 15 nickel-cadmium batteries recharged by 3,000 Explorer: America's First Satellite in the February solar cells mounted on the satellite's exterior. This 1998 issue of SpaceViews). advanced payload was equipped with a timer to turn itself off after a year in orbit. While these first satellites returned a wealth of new data, they were limited by the tiny 11 kilogram (25 Explorer S-1 was launched from Cape Canaveral on pound) payload capability of the Juno I. In order to July 16, 1959 on Juno II Round AM-16. orbit larger payloads carrying a larger range of Immediately upon launch an electrical problem in the instrumentation, von Braun's team developed the Jupiter first stage doomed the mission to failure. In Juno II. While the Juno I upper stage cluster of solid one of the Cape's more spectacular early launch rocket motors was retained, the Juno II used a failures, the Range Safety Officer detonated the modified Jupiter IRBM instead of the smaller rocket's destruct package 5.5 seconds after launch modified Redstone as a first stage. This new after the rocket had pitched over towards the ground. combination was first used to launch the Pioneer 3 and 4 lunar probes in December 1958 and March But as the ABMA team was preparing their next Juno 1959 (see Shooting for the Moon in the January 1, II for launch, another unrelated Explorer satellite 1999 issue of SpaceViews). would attempt to reach orbit. This satellite, called S- 2, was originally a joint USAF-ARPA project to ABMA planners started working with JPL under the launch a sophisticated probe into a very elongated aegis of ARPA (Advanced Research Projects orbit to study the Earth's newly discovered Van Allen Agency) to develop new and larger satellites to fly on radiation belts. S-2 would study this region in more the Juno II. But long before the first of these new detail than the Pioneer probes that first traversed it. satellites was even launched, political decisions Like the USAF-ARPA lunar Pioneer program, S-2 changed the landscape of America's fledging space was transferred to NASA shortly after it was founded program. With the formation of NASA in October of with the USAF officially relegated to an advisory 1958, all ARPA-sponsored space science satellite role. programs were transferred to the new space agency. The S-2 payload was arguably one of the most advanced satellites ever constructed up to that time. Built by STL (Space Technology Laboratory) like the USAF Pioneer orbiters (see Operation Mona: America's First Moon Program in the April 1998 issue of SpaceViews), the satellite was a 64 kilogram (142 pound) spheroid with a diameter of 66 centimeters (26 inches) and a height of 74 centimeters (29 inches). The spin stabilized satellite used four extendable solar "paddles" to power its array of onboard equipment. The impressive array of instruments was designed to study various types of trapped radiation, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation and micrometeorites. Also carried was a TV line scanner similar to that flown on the USAF Pioneers designed to produce crude images of the Earth from orbit. These TV signals were transmitted back to Earth along with digital data from other instruments using a UHF transmitter that operated for a few hours a day. A pair of continuously operating VHF transmitters returned a constant stream of analog instrument data. The S-2 payload would be sent into its elongated 12- hour hour orbit using the USAF Thor-Able - the same A crude scanner image of a crescent Earth taken by launch vehicle unsuccessfully used to send the USAF Explorer 6 on August 14, 1959 from an altitude of Pioneers to the Moon. 27,000 km. (NASA) Thankfully, S-2 would have better luck than the Success for ABMA Pioneers orbiters. On August 7, 1959 (40 years ago With Explorer 6 in orbit, the ABMA team was ready this month) Thor-Able 3 successfully placed S-2, for another launch attempt. Juno II Round AM-19B now officially designated Explorer 6, into a 245 carried a USAF-developed payload called Beacon. kilometer (152 miles) by 42,400 kilometer (26,343 This was a 12 kilogram (26 pound) balloon designed mile) orbit inclined 47 degrees to the equator. The to inflate to 3.7 meters (12 feet) across once in orbit. only major problem occurred when one of the four It was meant to study the properties of the upper solar paddles failed to fully extend resulting in the atmosphere from orbit. A malfunction in the rocket's new satellite generating only 63% of nominal power. guidance system shortly after launch on August 14, This amount gradually decreased through the mission 1959 (40 years ago this month) prevented Beacon and affected the quality of the transmitted signal from reaching orbit. especially near apogee. Undeterred, von Braun's team studied the causes of Despite its initial problems, Explorer 6 was a the Juno II failures and made corrections for the spectacular success. It returned the first crude images launch of the next satellite designated S-1a on Round of the Earth from orbit. It also supplied a wealth of AM-19A. Payload S-1a weighed 41.9 kilograms fresh data on the radiation and magnetic environment (92.3 pounds) and was a slightly improved version of of near-Earth space. On September 11 one of the two the ill fated S-1. But unlike S-1, S-1a was VHF transmitters failed and contact was finally lost successfully launched into a 557 kilometer (346 mile) on October 6 when the power levels fell below the by 1,069 kilometer (664 mile) orbit inclined 50.3 minimum the satellite needed to operate. In total, degrees to officially become Explorer 7. NASA's Explorer 6 returned 23 hours of digital data and 827 newest Explorer returned much new information on hours of data in analog form. Experience from the the spatial and temporal structure of the inner edge of design of the successful and innovative Explorer 6 the Van Allen radiation belts that complimented would be used by STL engineers for later Pioneer earlier data and that taken concurrently by later lunar and interplanetary probes. satellites. Explorer 7 returned continuous real-time data through February 1961 and then intermittently The next attempt by ABMA to launch a JPL-built until August 24 of that year. Explorer came later that year. Payload S-30 was similar in shape and design to the earlier S-46-series Next up was payload S-46. This 10.2 kilogram (22.5 satellites except it did not carry solar cells and had a pound) cylindrical satellite was 18 centimeters (7 life of only 1.5 months. Weighing in at 40.26 inches) in diameter and 53 centimeters (21 inches) kilogram (88.65 pounds), this satellite was designed long. Similar in design and mission to the earlier to make in situ measurements of upper atmospheric Explorer satellites launched by the Juno I, S-46 properties such as electron density, temperature, carried instruments to study the Earth's radiation composition and how they vary with time and belts. But unlike its earlier siblings, S-46 also carried altitude. The solar cells were excluded from this four banks of solar cells mounted on a rectangular payload because asymmetric charging on the cell box to recharge its batteries for up to one year. By surfaces would produce electric fields that could using the more powerful Juno II, this new payload affect experiment results. Three different sensors to could survey the Van Allen belts from a more highly measure micrometeorites were also carried. elongated orbit that was designed to survey its breadth. The new payload mounted atop of Juno II This new payload was successfully launched into a Round AM-19C was launched on March 23, 1960 but 459 by 2,289 kilometers (285 by 1,423 mile) orbit on all telemetry was lost shortly after first stage burn Juno II Round AM-19D on November 3, 1960. As out. The Juno II had failed again. expected, Explorer 8 operated until December 28 when its batteries were finally exhausted. During its useful life, Explorer 8 returned a large volume of data but unfortunately there were problems processing the raw telemetry into usable measurements.