Professional Documents
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A f o u r - s t a g e Juno I1 rocket, t o be f u r n i s h e d and
launched by t h e Marshall Center, will be used t o boost t h e
s a t e l l i t e i n t o orbit. Thd Juno I1 is composed of modified
J u p i t e r , Ceveloped by Marshall personnel, and t h r e e s o l i d -
propellant upper stages, provided by the J e t Propulsion
Laboratory of Pasadena, California.
THE GAMMA RAY ASTRONOMY SATELLITE IS-15)
Resembling an old-time s t r e e t lamp, t h e 82-pound
Sr15 l o o k s u n l i k e any s a t e l l i t e o r b i t e d t o date. It com-
b i n e s , s t r u c t u r a l l y , a 12-inch-diametcr, 23-1/2-2nch-lo~g
o c t a g o n a l aluminum box mounted on a 6-inch-diameter, 20-1/2-
inch-long aluminum i n s t r u m e n t column. The box p r o v i d e s
b o t h a housing f o r the gamma r a y t e l e s c o p e 2nd f o u r of the
e x t e r n a l s u r f a c e s for the s a t 6 - : l l i t e t ss o l a ? c e l l s , The
44-inch-long f o u r t h - s t a g e r o c k e t w i l l remain w i t h t h e
s a t e l l i t e , T h i s e x t e n s i o n w i l l a c t as a s e c t i o n of a
t r a n s m i t t i n g antenna and provide the a d d i t i o n a l l e n g t h and
weight needed i n a t t a i n i n g S-15 s hunblinig ac tiori. The
f o u r t h stage (burned out)weighs 12.8 pounds.
S o l a r c e l l s , which r e c h a r g e t h e s y s t e m ' s 12 n i c k e l
cadmium b a t t e r i e s , are a l s o l o c a t e d aFound t h e f a c e of a
17-inch-diameter o c t a g o n a l p l a t e fit+;ed on the t o p of t h e
box. A t h i n aluminum s h i e l d c o v e r s the m c l of the h o u s h g ,
p r o t e c t i n g the t e l e s c o p e from damaging mlci*ometeaxJites.
T h i s s h i e l d can be removed by rtidio commmd fron the
earth.
I n o r b i t , the gamma r a y astzo.mmy s a t e l l i t e w i l l
tumble end-over-end a t the r a t e of about 1.0 t i m e s e v e r y
minute. T h i s motion w i l l enable t h e g a m a zay t e l e s c o p e ,
aimed o u t through t h e end of t h e octagorial bc):y~, t~ scan a
p o r t i o n of surrounding space e v e r y s i x secognds.
Sun and e a r t h s e n s o r s , peeriyg o u t t k o u g h s m a l l
a p e r t u r e s i n t h e micrometeorite shield, w i l l pe3nj.t
s c i e n t i s t s on the ground t o know a t a l l tiaes t h e exact
o r i e n t a t i o n of t h e s a t e l l i t e w i t h r e s p e c t t9 the earth,
sun and stars, t h u s p i n p o i n t i n g t h e d i r e c t i o n from wnich
gamma r a y s are coming. An i n s u l a t e d temperature sexmr,
a l s o d i r e c t e d o u t through t h e t h i n shield, i s cleslgxd t o
s t u d y the thermal r a d i a t i o n balance of a body in oxM.2;.
To e f f e c t t h i s n e c e s s a r y t u m b l i n g o r p r o p e l l e r - l i k e
a c t i o n on a c h i e v i n g o r b i t , t h e s a t e l l i t e i s equipped wLth
a unique damping mechanism. T h i s device, f i t t e d i n t o the
a f t e r end of t h e f o u r t h - s t a g e r o c k e t ' s motor c a s e , fs a
hollow, m e r c u r y - f i l l e d c y l i n d r i c a l a d a p t o r , r e a m b l i n g a
r e t a i n e r r i n g , When i n j e c t e d i n t o o r b i t , S-15 w i l l be
s p i n n i n g about i t s l o n g i t u d i n a l axis a t about 380 ~ p m .
Although i t would e v e n t u a l l y slow down and begln tumbling
by the v e r y n a t u r e of i t s s t r u c t u r e , sc-featists want a
c o n t r o l l e d tumble, beginning s h o r t l y a f t e r t h e s a t e l l i t e
has gone i n t o o r b i t .
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The heavy, f r e e - f l o w i n g mercury w i l l . aid i n
slowing t h e s p i n n i n g r j a t e l l . i t e ,
INSTRUMENTATION
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* DATA REDUCTION
The data t r a n s m i t t e d by $he S-15 s a t e l l i t e and re-
corded by the M i n i t r a c k s t a t i o n s w i l l be processed and
reduced a t Goddard Space F l i g h t C e n t e r .
The composite d e t e c t e d s i g n a l w i l l be separated
i n t o f i v e channels by t h e u s e of f i l t e r s . Discrimina-
t o r s c o n v e r t t h i s data t o v o l t a g e amplitudes, which
w i l l be d i s p l a y e d on an o s c i l l o s c o p e , then recorded on
35mm f i l m .
An o r b i t ' s worth of data w i l l be processed i n a
l i t t l e o v e r t e n minutes and recorded on about 36 f e e t of
film. Also, t h e l i g h t p u l s e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , elapsed
time, and t i m e marks w i l l be recorded on b i n a r y t a p e i n
a format compatible w i t h t h e experimenters' computer pro-
gram. A few i n c h e s of tape w i l l be r e q u i r e d for each
o r b i t . This data will t h e n be s e n t t o t h e experimenters
a t MIT, who wi11,conduct t h e f i n a l data a n a l y s i s .
ORBITAL DATA
The s a t e l l i t e w i l l be launched i n t o a planned
e l l i p t i c a l , low I n c l i n a t i o n o r b i t i n o r d e r t h a t (1) t h e
i n i t i a l s p i n a x i s of t h e payload w i l l be i n such a
d i r e c t i o n t h a t t h e t e l e s c o p e w i l l scan the sun d u r i n g
t h e e a r l y part of i t s l i f e t i m e ; ( 2 i t will have a l i f e -
t i m e i n e x c e s s of s i x months; and [3) an a p p r e c i a b l e
f r a c t i o n of t h e t i m e w i l l be s p e n t below t h e i n n e r Van
Allen radiation belt.
S c i e n t i s t s p l a n that S-15 w i l l o r b i t a t an i n c l i n a -
t i o n near 28 degrees t o t h e equator. P r e l i m i n a r y p l a n s
c a l l f o r an apogee of about TOO miles and a t p e r i g e e I
of about 300 m i l e s . It i s i n t e n d e d , i n t h i s o r b i t , t o
c i r c l e the e a r t h approximately e v e r y 98 minutes. Its
o r b i t a l l i f e t i m e should be o v e r t h r e e y e a r s .
THE JUNO I1 LAUNCH VEHICLE
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m a t i c a l l y by t h e system's c o n t r o l computer t o keep t h e v e h i c l e
continuously d i r e c t e d on path.
A f t e r t h e c o r r e c t i o n s have been i s s u e d b y t h e " b r a i n s "
of t h e v e h i c l e , t h e r o c k e t ' s a t t i t u d e i s a l t e r e d a c c o r d i n g l y
by s w i v e l l i n g t h e nozzle on the b o o s t e r engine for c o n t r o l
i n t h e p i t c h and yaw planes, and s w i v e l l i n g the t u r b i n e ex-
h a u s t nozzle f o r r o l l c o n t r o l ,
F l i g h t Procedure :
Durlng t h e burning time of t h e f i r s t s t a g e , approxi-
mately t h r e e minutes, t h e r o c k e t i s t i l t e d i n t o a t r a j e c t o r y
i n c l i n e d a t a p r e d e t e m i i n e d angle. A few seconds a f t e r c u t -
o f f , t h e b o o s t e r (combined t a n k and engine s e c t i o n of f i r s t
s t a g e ) i s s e p a r a t e d from t h e i n s t r u m e n t compartment by ex-
p l o s i v e b o l t s , t h e s p r i n g s e x e r t a g e n t l e push on t h e i n -
strument compartment and s e p a r a t e it c l e a n l y from t h e booster.
T h i s is followed by t h e f i r i n g of f o u r s m a l l l a t e r a l k i c k
r o c k e t s c o n t a i n e d i n t h e b o o s t e r which cause t h e b o o s t e r t o
slow down s l i g h t l y i n speed and move t o the s i d e . T h i s
eliminates t h e possibility of t h e b o o s t e r i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h
t h e f l i g h t of t h e s e p a r a t e d upper s t a g e s ,
The b o o s t e r f a l l s i n t o t h e A t l a n t i c , while t h e u p p e r
assembly c o n t i n u e s on i t s path. The nose cone of t h e shroud
i s removed by e x p l o s i v e b o l t s a n d s p r i n g s , and a k i c k r o c k e t
moves i t t o t h e side. A f t e r a c o a s t p e r i o d of about f i v e
minutes, t h e second stage of t h e r o t a t i n g upper assembly w i t h -
i n t h e shroud-encased t u b i s i g n i t e d . The assembly, r o t a t i n g
a t about 380 rpm, r a p i d l y p u l l s o u t of t h e tub, and t h e
t h i r d and f o u r t h s t a g e s a r e f i r e d i n q u i c k s u c c e s s i o n . The
f o u r t h - s t a g e b o o s t s t h e payload t o o r b i t a l v e l o c i t y and r e -
mains with the s a t e l l i t e .
T o t a l . t i m e from t h e l i f t o f f t o t h e i n j e c t i o n of S-15
i n t o o r b i t w i l l be about n i n e minutes.
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. .. . .. ._ ___ ___ll_l_ , .. .. .. -. __l_" _I__ ... . I.c-_ _. -
NEWS R E L E A S E
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
1 5 2 0 H STREET, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 2 5 , D. C
TELEPHONES DUDLEY 2 - 6 3 2 5 . EXECUTIVE 3 - 3 2 6 0
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outward expansion of the universe i s a result of a continuous creation
of matter, w h i c h is produced eveqwhere throughout the universe at a
Bmau but steady rate. The expansion is then j u s t the response of t h e
universe t o the additional pressures generated by newly cmated matter.
It has been suggested that i f matter is created, anti-matter w i l l
probably be created simultaneously. After a considerable length of t i m e ,
estimated t o be about t e n million years on the average, the newly created
anti-matter will carbine w i t h the existing matter i n the galaxy and be
annihilated i n the process of combination, leaving only radiant energy
i n the form of gamma-rays. These ganmra-rays can be detected by the
gamma-my telescape. The rate of creation of matter need not be very
large according t o the steady state cosmologists, in, f a c t not mom than
the equivalent of one hydrogen atom per second i n a cube 100 miles on
a side. But i f anti-matter i s created a t the same ti= at t h i s rate,
the annihilated gamma-mys produced by it w i l l lead t o a very strong
signal i n the gama-ra;y telscope. The signal will be, i n f a c t , about
100 times greater than- produced by gamk-rays emitted i n the i n t e r -
action of cosmic rays w i t h the gas i n the galaxy. Thus t h e gamma-ray
experiment w i l l provide a very good measumment o r upper l i m i t on the
rate of crxation of anti-matter within the galaxy.
The gamma r a y telescope is an exploratory instrument which may
not answer a l l of these questions. However, i n t h i s f i r s t of a new
generation of telescopes designed t o investigate the gamma-ray region
of the electromagnetic spectrum, physics and astronomy w i l l acquire
t h e i r i n i t i a l experience w i t h the design and application of a powerful
new i n s t m n t f o r exploring the structure of the universe.
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