Samos 2
Mission type | Reconnaissance |
---|---|
Operator | United States Air Force |
Harvard designation | 1961 Alpha 1 |
COSPAR ID | 1961-001A |
SATCAT no. | 00070 |
Mission duration | 1 month |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Samos-E1 |
Bus | Agena-A |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | January 31, 1961, 20:31:19 | UTC
Rocket | Atlas LV-3A Agena-A 70D |
Launch site | Point Arguello LC-1-1 |
End of mission | |
Decay date | October 21, 1973 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Sun-synchronous Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 474 kilometers (295 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 553 kilometers (344 mi) |
Inclination | 97.4 degrees |
Period | 94.9 minutes |
Samos 2 was an American reconnaissance satellite launched in 1961 as part of the Samos program. It was an early spacecraft, meaning that it transmitted images to receiving stations on Earth rather than returning them in a film capsule. Samos 2 was a Samos-E1 spacecraft, based on an Agena-A.[1]
The launch of Samos 2 occurred at 20:31:19 UTC on January 31, 1961. An Atlas LV-3A Agena-A rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 1-1 at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station.[2] Ten minutes and fourteen seconds later, the Agena's engine cut off, having successfully achieved a low Earth orbit.[3] It was assigned the 1961 Alpha 1.
Samos 2 operated in a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, with an apogee of 553 kilometres (344 mi), a perigee of 474 kilometres (295 mi), an inclination of 97.4 degrees, and a period of 94.9 minutes.[4] The satellite had a mass of 1,915 kilograms (4,222 lb),[3] and measured 6.86 metres (22.5 ft) in length, with a diameter of 1.52 metres (5 ft 0 in).[5] It operated successfully, but the images returned were poor.[6] Designed to operate for around ten days,[1] it ceased operations around a month after launch,[3] and decayed from orbit on October 21, 1973.[4]
References[]
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Samos E-1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c McDowell, Jonathan. "SAMOS 2". The History of Spaceflight. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ "Pioneer/Samos-A". FAS. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Samos". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- Spacecraft launched in 1961
- Spacecraft which reentered in 1973