Content deleted Content added
→Continuation of the Explorer program: list of IMP missions |
→Continuation of the Explorer program: List of Interplanetary Monitoring Platform (IMP) missions, photos |
||
Line 21:
=== Continuation of the Explorer program ===
[[File:Explorer-18 IMP-A.jpg|thumb|Explorer-18 (IMP-1) satellite]]
With the establishment of NASA in 1958, the Explorer program was transferred to NASA from the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]. NASA continued to use the name for an ongoing series of relatively small space missions, typically an artificial satellite with a specific science focus. [[Explorer 6]] in 1959 was the first scientific satellite under the project direction of NASA's [[Goddard Space Flight Center]] (GSFC) in [[Greenbelt, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Portree |first=David S. F. |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/05/cometary-explorer-1973/ |title=Cometary Explorer (1973) |magazine=Wired |date=22 May 2013 |access-date=24 June 2019 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard-missions-past |title=Goddard Missions |work=Goddard Space Flight Center |publisher=NASA |date=5 June 2018 |access-date=24 June 2019}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
[[File:IMP 8.gif|thumb|Explorer 50 (IMP-8) satellite]]
The [[Interplanetary Monitoring Platform]] (IMP) was launched in 1963 and involved a network of eleven Explorer satellites designed to collect data on space radiation in support of the [[Apollo program]]. The IMP program was a major step forward in spacecraft [[electronics]] design, as it was the first space program to use [[integrated circuit]] (IC) chips and [[MOSFET]]s (MOS transistors).<ref name="Butrica">{{cite book |last1=Butrica |first1=Andrew J. |chapter=Chapter 3: NASA's Role in the Manufacture of Integrated Circuits |editor-last1=Dick |editor-first1=Steven J. |title=Historical Studies in the Societal Impact of Spaceflight |date=2015 |publisher=NASA |isbn=978-1-62683-027-1 |pages=149-250 (237-242) |chapter-url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/historical-studies-societal-impact-spaceflight-ebook_tagged.pdf#page=237}} {{PD-notice}}</ref><ref name="nasa">{{cite book |title=Interplanetary Monitoring Platform |date=29 August 1989 |publisher=NASA |pages=1, 11, 134 |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19800012928.pdf |access-date=12 August 2019 |last1=Butler |first1=P. M.}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> The IMP-A ([[Explorer 18]]) in 1963 was the first spacecraft to use IC chips, and the IMP-D ([[Explorer 33]]) in 1966 was the first to use MOSFETs.<ref name="Butrica"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+List of [[Interplanetary Monitoring Platform]] (IMP) missions
! rowspan="2" |Mission
! colspan="2" |Satellite▼
! rowspan="2" |Launch Date
▲! colspan="2" |Satellite
! rowspan="2" |Decay Date
! rowspan="2" |Notes
Line 37 ⟶ 36:
!IMP
|-
|[[Explorer 18|IMP-1]]▼
!IMP 1▼
|27 November 1963, 02:30 UTC<ref name="jonathan">{{cite web |last=McDowell |first=Jonathan |title=Launch Log |url=http://www.planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt |access-date=2018-06-24 |work=Jonathan's Space Page}}</ref>
▲|[[Explorer 18]]
|IMP-A▼
|December 30, 1965
|First use of [[Integrated circuit|integrated circuits]] in a spacecraft. First satellite in IMP-A/-B/-C design series.
|-
!IMP 2▼
|4 October 1964, 03:45 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
▲|[[Explorer 21]]
|IMP-B▼
|January 1, 1966
|Second satellite in IMP-A/-B/-C design series.
|-
!IMP 3▼
|29 May 1965, 12:00 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />▼
▲|[[Explorer 28]]
|IMP-C
▲|29 May 1965, 12:00 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
|4 July 1968
|Third satellite in IMP-A/-B/-C design series.
|-
|1 July 1966, 16:02 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
▲|[[Explorer 33]]
|IMP-D▼
|In orbit
|First use of [[MOSFET]] integrated circuits in a spacecraft, similar design to IMP-E. Originally intended to orbit the Moon, but placed in an elliptical high orbit instead.
|-
|24 May 1967, 14:05 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
▲|[[Explorer 34]]
|May 3, 1969
|Similar design to IMP-G.
|-
|[[Explorer 35|AIMP-2]]
|Explorer 35
|19 July 1967, 14:19 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />▼
▲|[[Explorer 35]]
|IMP-E
▲|19 July 1967, 14:19 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
|After June 24, 1973
|Similar design to IMP-D. Positioned in [[Moon|Selenocentric orbit]].
|-
|[[Explorer 41|IMP-5]]
|Explorer 41
|21 June 1969, 08:47 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
▲|[[Explorer 41]]
|December 23, 1972
|Similar design to IMP-F.
|-
|[[Explorer 43|IMP-6]]
|Explorer 43
|13 March 1971, 16:15 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
▲|[[Explorer 43]]
|October 2, 1974
|First spacecraft in IMP-I/-H/-J series.
|-
|[[Explorer 47|IMP-7]]
|Explorer 47
|23 September 1972, 01:20 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />▼
▲|[[Explorer 47]]
|IMP-H
▲|23 September 1972, 01:20 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
|In orbit
|Second spacecraft in IMP-I/-H/-J series.
|-
|[[Explorer 50|IMP-8]]
|Explorer 50
|26 October 1973, 02:26 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />▼
▲|[[Explorer 50]]
|IMP-J
▲|26 October 1973, 02:26 UTC<ref name="jonathan" />
|In orbit
|Third spacecraft in IMP-I/-H/-J series, remained in service until 2006
Line 112 ⟶ 111:
=== SMEX, MIDEX, and Student Explorer programs ===
In 1988, the '''Small Explorer (SMEX)''' class was established with a focus on frequent flight opportunities for highly focused and relatively inexpensive space science missions in the disciplines of astrophysics and space physics.<ref name=NASAhistory>{{cite book |last=Rumerman |first=Judy A. |url=https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4012v7ch4.pdf |title=NASA Historical Data Book, Vol. VII: NASA Launch Systems, Space Transportation, Human Spaceflight, and Space Science, 1989-1998 |publisher=NASA |date=2009 |access-date=24 June 2019}} {{PD-notice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/106477main_smex.pdf |title=NASA's Small Explorer Program: Faster, Better, Cheaper |work=Goddard Space Flight Center |publisher=NASA |date=January 1998 |access-date=24 June 2019 |archive-date=16 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216162632/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/106477main_smex.pdf |url-status=dead}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> The first three SMEX missions were chosen in April 1989 out of 51 candidates, and launched in 1992, 1996 and 1998<ref name=IEEE>{{cite conference |title=SAMPEX: NASA's First Small Explorer Satellite |conference=IEEE Aerospace Conference 21–28 March 1998 Aspen, Colorado |first1=G. M. |last1=Mason |first2=D. N. |last2=Baker |first3=J. B. |last3=Blake |first4=R. E. |last4=Boughner |first5=L. B. |last5=Callis |display-authors=et al. |volume=5 |pages=389–412 |date=1998 |doi=10.1109/AERO.1998.685848}}</ref> The second set of two missions were announced in September 1994 and launched in 1998 and 1999.<ref name=NASAhistory/>[[File:M101 combined low.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|This artificially colored view of M101 maps ultraviolet light as blue while visible light is red since [[Ultraviolet|UV]] light does not have a "color" (the eye stopping at about violet). This view was taken by the MIDEX-3 [[Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory|Swift]], which can also detect X-rays, and has contributed to the study of [[gamma-ray burst]]s and other topics.]]
In the mid-1990s, NASA initiated the '''Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX)''' to enable more frequent flights. These are larger than SMEX missions and were to be launched aboard a new kind of medium-light class launch vehicle.<ref name="NASAhistory" /> This new launch vehicle was not developed and instead, these missions were flown on a modified [[Delta II]] rocket.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ed Kyle |url=http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/delta2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325164354/http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/delta2.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=25 March 2010 |title=Delta II Data Sheet |publisher=Spacelaunchreport.com |access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://aviationweek.com/awin/nasa-taps-mcdonnell-med-lite-launches |title=NASA Taps Mcdonnell For Med-Lite Launches |magazine=Aviation Week |date=4 March 1996 |access-date=28 April 2018}}</ref> The first announcement opportunity for MIDEX was issued in March 1995, and the first launch under this new class was [[Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer|FUSE]] in 1999.<ref name="NASAhistory" />
In May 1994, NASA started the '''Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative''' (STEDI) pilot program, to demonstrate that high-quality space science can be carried out with small, low-cost missions. Of the three selected missions, SNOE was launched in 1998 and TERRIERS in 1999, but the latter failed after launch. The STEDI program was terminated in 2001.<ref name=NASAhistory/> Later, NASA established the '''University-Class Explorer''' (UNEX) program for much cheaper missions, which is regarded as a successor to STEDI.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.stanford.edu/~sbuchman/publications-PDF/The%20Large%20Benefits%20of%20Small%20Satellite%20Missions.pdf |title=The Large Benefits of Small Satellite Missions |access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref>
| |||