|
List Of Extraterrestrial Orbiters
List of extraterrestrial orbiters is a listing of spacecraft that achieved an extraterrestrial orbit. Sun First artificial object on heliocentric orbit was Luna 1 (1959). Mercury Venus Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Minor planets and comets References See also *Lunar orbit *Circumlunar trajectory *List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft *List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies * List of interplanetary voyages *Satellite system (astronomy) A satellite system is a set of gravitationally bound objects in orbit around a planetary mass object (incl. sub-brown dwarfs and rogue planets) or minor planet, or its barycenter. Generally speaking, it is a set of natural satellites (moons), al ... {{Spaceflight lists and timelines extraterrestrial extraterrestrial * Non Earth orbiting satellites * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo. All spacecraft except single-stage-to-orbit vehicles cannot get into space on their own, and require a launch vehicle (carrier rocket). On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a space vehicle enters space and then returns to the surface without having gained sufficient energy or velocity to make a full Earth orbit. For orbital spaceflights, spacecraft enter closed orbits around the Earth or around other celestial bodies. Spacecraft used for human spaceflight carry people on board as crew or passengers from start or on orbit (space stations) only, whereas those used for robotic space missions operate either autonomously or telerobotically. Robotic spacecraft used to support scientific re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exploration Of The Moon
The physical exploration of the Moon began when '' Luna 2'', a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation from Earth. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes; having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his first observations using it. NASA's Apollo program was the only program to successfully land humans on the Moon, which it did six times. The first landing took place in 1969, when Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong placed scientific instruments and returned lunar samples to Earth. The first unmanned landing on the far side of the Moon was made by the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 4 in early 2019, which s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luna 22
''Luna 22'' (Ye-8-LS series) was an uncrewed space mission, part of the Soviet Luna program, also called ''Lunik 22''. Overview ''Luna 22'' was a lunar orbiter mission. The spacecraft carried imaging cameras and also had the objectives of studying the Moon's magnetic field, surface gamma ray emissions and composition of lunar surface rocks, and the gravitational field, as well as micrometeorites and cosmic rays. Luna 22 was launched into Earth parking orbit and then to the Moon. It was inserted into a circular lunar orbit on 2 June 1974. The spacecraft made many orbit adjustments over its 18-month lifetime in order to optimize the operation of various experiments, lowering the perilune to as little as 25 km. ''Luna 22'' was the second of two "advanced" lunar orbiters, the first of which being ''Luna 19 . The orbiter was'' designed to conduct extensive scientific surveys from orbit. Well in route to the Moon, ''Luna 20'' had to perform a single mid-course correction on 30 May, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Explorer 49
Explorer 49 (also called Radio Astronomy Explorer-2, RAE-B) was a NASA satellite launched on 10 June 1973, for long wave radio astronomy research. It had four X-shaped antenna elements, which made it one of the largest spacecraft ever built. Mission The Radio Astronomy Explorer B (RAE-B) mission was the second of a pair of RAE satellites. It was placed into lunar orbit to provide radio astronomical measurements of the planets, the Sun, and the galaxy over the frequency range of 25-kHz to 13.1-MHz. The experiment complement consisted of two Ryle-Vonberg radiometers (nine channels each), three swept-frequency burst receivers (32 channels each), and an impedance probe for calibration. The experiment antenna package, made of BeCu, consisted of very long travelling wave antennas forming an X configuration: a upper V-antenna pointed away from the Moon; a lower V-antenna pointed toward the Moon; and a dipole antenna parallel to the lunar surface. There was also a boron libratio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luna 19
''Luna 19'' (a.k.a. ''Lunik 19'') (E-8-LS series), was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program. ''Luna 19'' extended the systematic study of lunar gravitational fields and location of mascons (mass concentrations). It also studied the lunar radiation environment, the gamma-active lunar surface, and the solar wind. Photographic coverage via a television system was also obtained. Overview ''Luna 19'' was the first of the “advanced” lunar orbiters whose design was based upon the same Ye-8-class bus used for the lunar rovers and the sample collectors. For these orbiters, designated Ye-8LS, the basic “lander stage” was topped off by a wheelless Lunokhod-like frame that housed all scientific instrumentation in a pressurized container. ''Luna 19'' was launched into an Earth parking orbit on 28 September, of the year 1971 and, from this orbit, was sent toward the Moon. ''Luna 19'' entered an orbit around the Moon on 2 October 1971 after two midcourse corrections on 29 Sept ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luna 14
Luna 14 (E-6LS series) was an uncrewed spacecraft, uncrewed space mission of the Luna program run by the Soviet Union. It was also called Lunik 14. Overview The spacecraft is believed to have been similar to Luna 12 and the instrumentation was similar to that carried by Luna 10. It provided data for studies of the interaction of the Earth and lunar masses, the lunar gravitational field, the propagation and stability of radio communications to the spacecraft at different orbital positions, solar charged particles and cosmic rays, and the motion of the Moon. This flight was the final flight of the second generation of the Luna series. Luna 14 successfully entered lunar orbit at 19:25 UT on 10 April 1968. Initial orbital parameters were 160 × 870 kilometers at 42° inclination. The primary goal of the flight was to test communications systems in support of the N1-L3 piloted lunar landing project. Ground tracking of the spacecraft's orbit also allowed controllers to accurately map lu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lunar Orbiter 5
Lunar Orbiter 5, the last of the "Lunar Orbiter series", was designed to take additional Apollo and Surveyor landing site photography and to take broad survey images of unphotographed parts of the Moon's far side. It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data and was used to evaluate the Manned Space Flight Network tracking stations and Apollo Orbit Determination Program. Mission Summary The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and on August 5, 1967 was injected into an elliptical near polar lunar orbit with an inclination of 85 degrees and a period of 8 hours 30 minutes. On August 7 the perilune was lowered to , and on August 9 the orbit was lowered to a , 3 hour 11 minute period. The spacecraft acquired photographic data from August 6 to 18, 1967, and readout occurred until August 27, 1967. A total of 633 high resolution and 211 medium resolution frames at resolution down to were acquired, bringing the cumulative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Explorer 35
Explorer 35, (IMP-E, AIMP-2, Anchored IMP-2, Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-E), was a spin-stabilized spacecraft built by NASA as part of the Explorer program. Designed for the study of the interplanetary plasma, magnetic field, energetic particles, and solar X-rays, from lunar orbit. Spacecraft Explorer 35 was similar to the earlier Explorer 33. The spacecraft mass was . The main body of the spacecraft was an octagonal prism, across and high. Four arrays containing 6144 n/p solar cells, providing an average of 70 watts power, extended from the main bus, along with two magnetometer booms. Four whip antennas are mounted on top of the spacecraft. A retrorocket was mounted on top of the bus. Power was stored in silver–cadmium batteries (Ag-Cd). Communication (PFM telemetry) was via a 7-watts transmitter and a digital data processor. The science payload had a mass of and included two 3-axis magnetometers, low energy protons and alpha energy analyzer, low energy proto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lunar Orbiter 4
Lunar Orbiter 4 was a robotic U.S. spacecraft, part of the Lunar Orbiter program, Lunar Orbiter Program, designed to orbit the Moon, after the three previous orbiters had completed the required needs for Project Apollo, Apollo mapping and site selection. It was given a more general objective, to "perform a broad systematic photographic survey of lunar surface features in order to increase the scientific knowledge of their nature, origin, and processes, and to serve as a basis for selecting sites for more detailed scientific study by subsequent orbital and landing missions". It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. Mission Summary The spacecraft was placed in a Free-return trajectory, cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near polar high lunar orbit for data acquisition. The orbit was with an inclination of 85.5 degrees and a period of 12 hours. After initial photography on May 11, 1967 problems started occu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lunar Orbiter 3
The Lunar Orbiter 3 was a spacecraft launched by NASA in 1967 as part of the Lunar Orbiter program, Lunar Orbiter Program. It was designed primarily to photograph areas of the Moon, lunar surface for confirmation of safe landing sites for the Surveyor program, Surveyor and Apollo program, Apollo missions. It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. Mission Summary The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near-equatorial lunar orbit on February 8 at 21:54 UT. The orbit was with an inclination of 20.9 degrees and a period of 3 hours 25 minutes. After four days (25 orbits) of tracking the orbit was changed to . The spacecraft acquired photographic data from February 15 to 23, 1967, and readout occurred through March 2, 1967. The film advance mechanism showed erratic behavior during this period resulting in a decision to begin readout of the frames earlier than planned. The frames were r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lunar Orbiter 2
The 1966 Lunar Orbiter 2 robotic spacecraft mission, part of the Lunar Orbiter Program, was designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions. It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. Mission Summary The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near-equatorial lunar orbit for data acquisition after 92.6 hours' flight time. The initial orbit was at an inclination of 11.8 degrees. The perilune was lowered to five days later after 33 orbits. A failure of the amplifier on the final day of readout, December 7, resulted in the loss of six photographs. On December 8, 1966 the inclination was altered to 17.5 degrees to provide new data on lunar gravity. The spacecraft acquired photographic data from November 18 to 25, 1966, and readout occurred through December 7, 1966. A total of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luna 12
Luna 12 (E-6LF series) was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 12. Overview Luna 12 was launched towards the Moon from an Earth-orbiting platform and achieved lunar orbit on October 25, 1966. The spacecraft was equipped with a television system that obtained and transmitted photographs of the lunar surface. The photographs contained 1100 scan lines with a maximum resolution of 14.9-19.8 m. Pictures of the lunar surface were returned on October 27, 1966. The number of photographs is not known. Radio transmissions from Luna 12 ceased on January 19, 1967, after 602 lunar orbits and 302 radio transmissions. Luna 12 was launched to complete the mission that Luna 11 had failed to accomplish—take high-resolution photos of the Moon's surface from lunar orbit. Luna 12 reached the Moon on October 25, 1966, and entered a 133 x 1,200-kilometer orbit. The Soviet press released the first photos taken of the surface on October 29—pictures that showed the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
