Gravity Gradient Technology Satellite
Gravity Gradient Technology Satellite (GGTS) | |
Mission type | Gravity-gradient stabilization |
---|---|
Operator | United States Air Force |
COSPAR ID | 1966-053A |
SATCAT no. | 2207[1] |
Spacecraft properties | |
Launch mass | 47 kilograms (104 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | June 16, 1966 (1966-06-16Z) 14:00:01 UTC |
Rocket | Titan IIIC |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC41 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geosynchronous |
Perigee altitude | 33,663 kilometers (20,917 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 33,858 kilometers (21,038 mi) |
Inclination | 4.2° |
Period | 1,334.00 minutes[2] |
The Gravity Gradient Test Satellite was launched by the US Air Force from Cape Canaveral LC41 aboard a Titan IIIC rocket on June 16, 1966, at 14:00:01 UTC.[3] The satellite was launched along with seven IDCSP satellites, with which it shared a bus. In contrast to the solar-powered IDCSP satellites, GGTS was battery powered.
GGTS utilized the 12-kilogram (26 lb) Magnetically Anchored Gravity Systems (MACS), which consisted of two identical subsystem packages, each containing an extensible rod unit and a magnetically anchored spherical viscous damper. The rod units had an extended length of 15.8 meters (52 ft), and their 5-kilogram (11 lb) damper tip weights gave the satellite a symmetric dumbbell configuration. The dampers were produced by General Electric and consisted of two concentric spheres separated by a viscous damping fluid. The internal sphere contained a hollow cylindrical magnet which served to "anchor' the inner sphere to the Earth's magnetic field, stabilizing the satellite over time.
It had been hoped that within 60 days of launch, the satellite would reach a stabilization of ±8° on the x- and y-axis. The results were compromised, as one of the dampers was magnetically contaminated.
A follow-up GGTS mission was lost due to a launch vehicle failure on August 28, 1966.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "GGTS 1". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ^ "GGTS". Astronautix. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathon's Space Report. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ "GGTS 1,2". Gunter's Space Report. Retrieved 22 Nov 2019.
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- OPS 2394
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- OPS 1439
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- DS-K-40 No.2
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- ESSA-2
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- GATV-5003
- Gemini VIII
- Kosmos 112
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- N-4 No.3
- OPS 1117
- Molniya-1 No.5
- OV1-4
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- Luna 10
- Kosmos 114
- OPS 1612
- Surveyor SD-3
- OAO-1
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- OV3-1
- Molniya 1-03
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- Nimbus 2
- Zenit-4
- GATV-5004
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- Kosmos 119
- Explorer 32
- Surveyor 1
- ATDA
- Gemini IX-A
- OPS 1577
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- OGO-3
- Kosmos 120
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- Secor 6
- ERS-16
- OPS 9311
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- GGTS
- Kosmos 121
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- PAGEOS
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- Explorer 33
- AS-203
- Proton 3
- Kosmos 123
- OPS 1850
- OV1-7
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- Kosmos 125
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- OPS 3014
- GATV-5006
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- Zenit-2 No.40
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- Ōsumi 1
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- ESSA-3
- FTV-1583
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- OPS 2055
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- Kosmos 129
- Molniya 1-04
- Kosmos 130
- Luna 12
- Surveyor SM-3
- Intelsat II F-1
- OV3-2
- OGCh No.06L
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- ATS-1
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- Soyuz 7K-OK No.1
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- Biosatellite 1
- Kosmos 136
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- OPS 1584
Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).