Explorer S-45A was a
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
satellite, which was lost in a launch failure in 1961. The satellite was intended to operate in a
highly elliptical orbit, from which it was to have provided data on the shape of the
ionosphere
The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an ...
,
[ ] and on the
Earth's magnetic field
Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic f ...
.
It was part of the
Explorer program and would have been designated Explorer 12 had it reached orbit. It was the second of two identical satellites to be launched; the first,
Explorer S-45, had also been lost in a launch failure, earlier in the year.
Launch
Explorer S-45A was launched aboard a
Juno II
Juno II was an American space launch vehicle used during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was derived from the Jupiter missile, which was used as the first stage.
Development
Solid rocket motors derived from the MGM-29 Sergeant were used ...
launch vehicle
A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...
, serial number AM-19G. It was the final flight of the Juno II.
The launch took place from
LC-26B at the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) at 19:48:05
GMT on 24 May 1961.
The system which was intended to ignite the second stage malfunctioned, and as a result that stage failed to ignite.
The launch vehicle failed to achieve orbit.
[ ]
See also
*
Explorer program
References
{{Orbital launches in 1961
Spacecraft launched in 1961
Satellite launch failures