heos-a press kit

8/7/2019 Heos-A Press Kit

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINS'RATION WO 2-4155WASHINGTON,D.C. 20546 TE W3-6925

FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY A.M.Decmeber 3, 1968RELEASE NO: 68-204

p PROJECT: HEOS-AREAS GENERAL RELEASE ------------------------------------------ 1-3THE HEOS-A MISSION ----------------------------------------4-5LIST OF HEOS EXPERIMENTS--------------------------------6-8

SPACECRAFT-----------------------------------------------9TRACKING-------------------------------------------------- -10LAUNCH VEHICLE--------------------------------------------11-13SEQUENCE OF LAUNCH EVENTS--------------------------------14HEOS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS---------------------------------15-16INDUSTRIAL PARTICIPANTS-----------------------------------16

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NATIONAL AERONACTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TELSE O 2-4155NEW WASHINGTON,D.C. 20546 WO 3-6925FOR RELEASE: TUEADAY A.M.December 3, 1968RECLESE NO: 68~20It

HEOS-A SATELLITE

The European Space Research Organization's firstinterplanetary physics research satellite, HEOS, is scheduledfor launching on a National Aeronautics and Space Administra-tion Thor-Delta vehicle from Cape Kennedy, Fla., no earlierthan Dec. 5.

HEOS (Highly Eccentric Orbit Satellite) will be the firstspacecraft launched under an ESRO-NA.SA agreement providing forlaunchings on a reimbursable ba3is.

HEOS' scientific mission is to study interplanetary physics -iparticularly magnetic fields -- cosmic radiation and solar Indoutside of the magnetosphere and the Earth's ahock-wave. Forthis purpose a highly elliptical orbit was selected, with anapogee of 225,000 kilometers (138,000 statute miles) equivalentto two-thirds the distance from the Earth to the Moon and wellabove the regions of space influenced by the Earth.

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-.2The HEOS mission was planned for the period of nigh solar

activity, near the end of 1968 or the beginning of 1969. The238-pound satellite -will have a perigee of 440 kilometers (274miles) an inclination of 28.3 degrees and a period of approxi-mately five days.

HEOS is capable of modifying its attitude and spin rateon ground command. It also has the unique feature of being"magnetically clean," i.e.: the magnetic field induced by thesatellite itself as maae'red by the on-board magnetomeiter isonly 0.15 gamma.

HEOS was prepared under the supervision of ESRO's Europea-Space Technology Center (ESTEC) at Noordwijk,, Holland. Thesatellite carries eight experiments prepared by univer 'ivylaboratories in Belgium, Federal Republic of Germany, France,Italy and the United Kingdom. The spacecraft was developed bya consortiufl of Industries in Belgium, Federal Republic ofGermany, France and the UK. Total cost of the project is esti-mated to be $16 million including the launching costs of ap-proximately $4 million.

The NASA-ESRO agreement of December 1966 concerning re-imbursable l.aunchinga provides that ESRO will furnish the space-craft and reimburse NASA f or Delta launch vehicle costs andother support. smore-


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-3-The HEOS contract was signed March 8, 1967.

HEOS will be the third ESRO satellite to be placed in orbitby NASA. ESROts Earth orbiting scientific satellites ESRO IIand ESRO I were launched from the Western Test Range, Calif.,on May 16 and Oct. 3, 1968, respectively, Both satelliteswere cooperative projects in which E.SRO provided the spacecraftand experiments and NASA furnished the Scout vehicles andlaunchings.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS)

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EMtrH'S SHOCK WAVE APOGEE230000 I'm2 1/2 DAYS

OGOD- IOR3iNTIG GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY145000 lkm

DIRECTION TO THE StN

| \ o t s~wer,4s+# 24 HOtlRS

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THE HEOS-A MISSIONThe scientific mission of HEOS-A is the investigation ofinterplanetary space during the period of maximum solaractivity.Two factors influence the space environment near theEarth, the first being the Earth's magnetic field, thepresence of which has been known fo r hundreds of years.The second is the solar-wind. Its presence was establishedby early space probes, most of them within the last ten years."Solar-wind" is the term used to describe the con-tinuous out-flow of plasma (protons and electrons) from theSun, characterized by a velocity of several hundred kilo-meters per second under quiet conditions. But this velocityis not constant. At times of high solar activity the windblows more strongly. The number of Sun spots and solar flareshas been observed to vary within a solar cycle extending overan ll-vear period. The Sun is presently near its peak ofactivity fo r the current solar cycle,Strength of the Earth's magnetic field decreases

rapidly with distance from the Earth. The limit of themagnetic field is a boundary or perimeter where the pres-sure of the solar wind is balanced by the pressure of themagnetic field. The region inside this boundary (the mag-netopause) is called the magnetosphere and is closely con-trolled by the Earrth's magnetic field. The region beyond themagnetosphere is referred to as the transition region wherethe Earth's field does not exist and the Interplanetary fieldis highly disordered. This transition region is bounded onits outside by a shock front caused by the solar wind whichis "supersonic", i.e.: is bodily travelling faster thanmagnetohydrodynamic waves can propagate in it. The situationof an aircraft travelling supersonically in the atmosphere,producing a shock wave and hence the sonic boom, is somewhatanalogous.

The region beyond the shock wave is termed interplanetaryspace and is uninfluenced by the presence of the Earth. Th eclosest approach to interplanetary space is along the Earth-Sun line where the shock front is some eleven Earth radiidistant (70,000 kmi). The positions of the shock front andthe magnetosphere are greatly influenced by the solar windand solar activity. Thus in order to study interplanetaryspace, a spacecraft must be orbited with an apogee well inexcess of eKleven Farth radii. The orbit chosen fo r HEOS-Ameans that the experiments can study interplanetary space forsome eighty hours of every five-day orbit fo r the first fourmont.i- of operation.

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The eight HEOS experirzents will make measurements ofmagnetic fields, the solar wind, and solar and galacticcomaic rays.

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-6-LIST OF HEOS-A EXPERIMENTS

S-16-Optical observation of an Ion Cloud to investigatemagnetic field and electric field within magnetosphere,Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (Munich,Germany), Prof. R. Lust and Dr. H. Gollnitz.S-24-A-Measurement of the interplanetary field and itsirregularities, Imperial College, University of London(England), Prof. H. Elliot and Dr. P. Hedgecock.S-24-B-Measurement of the flux of cosmic ray protons ofenergy greater than 350 MeV, Imperial College, Universityof London (England), Prof. H. Elliot and Dr. A. Engel.- -24-C-Directional measurement of protons in theenergy range from .9 to 20 MeV, Imperial College, Universityof London (England), Prof. H. Elliot and Dr. R. Hynds.3-58-Investigation of the angular distribution positivecomponent of the solar wind, University of Brussels(Belgium), Prof. Coutrez and Mr. W. Scholiers.S-72-Measurement of the flux and energy distribution ofvarious cosmic ray particles (protons in th e energy rangefrom 5 to 850 MeV, alpha particles in the range 150 to1500 MeV and electrons in the range 1.5 to 15 MeV, CentreD'Estudes Nuoleaires De Saclay (France), Prof. J. Labey-rl, Dr. J. Engelman and Mrs. L. Koch.S-734Measuremen, of the energy distribution of the solarwind in the range from 100 to 15000 ftV, University ofFlorence and Rome (Itally), Prof. A. Bonetti and Prof. G.Pizzella.- -79-Detection of electrons in tne cosmic radiation inthe energy range from 50 to 600 MeV, University of Milan(Italy) and Centre D'Etudes Nucleairs De Saclay (France),Prof. C. Occhialini-Dilworth, Dr. C. Bland, Prof. J.Labeyrie and Dr. Koechlin.

Abstract of EperimentsS-24A ie designed to measure magnetic fields in therange + 64 gamma with an accuracy of 0.5 gamma (a gamma isone one hundred thousandt;h part of a gauss). The field atthe Earth's surface is typically 0.5 gauss. Because of itsvery high sensitivity, the three-axis magnetometer sensor isplaced at the end v.: boom support some 1.6 meters from themain spacecraft structure, so that the net effect of magneticcomponents withir tne .9orl.te is reduced to a tolerable level.

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aOe of the oain features or the project his been theattempt to reduce the reisdual freld due to the spaceocraftto 0.5 gamma at the sensor, 1ess than 0.15 gamma has beenachieved on the f1tiht rmodel spacecraft.S-24A will relay information on fields within thQm~agnetosphere, transition and Interplanetary regions on acontinuous basis. When operated in a selected mode, it willrecord data at a high rate to obtain high resolution whenthe satellite is passing through the ahock front and mag-netopause or other "irregularity". These data ar storedin the experiment to be transmaitted later, on a continuous,

basis, at a munh lower rate t.han they were recorded.S-24B in deAigrned to obnerve high energy oosric rayprotons with energy greater than 350 MeV and to detect dir-ectionar1niaotrop:1es which may be correlated with the inoer-planetary field aconIguratitcn observed by 3-24A. The sensorsconsist of telescope arranLements of Cerankov scintillationcounters.S-240 will obasnrve Pole.r protons of low energy in theregion .0.9 to 20 Ke.W and will detect direotional &nisotropieswhich trgether wi1th OAtRa rota S-24A should yield fundamental

information orn the propagatior, mechanisms of solar protons.The sennors sa.onals.. of four-eleaent solid-state-dtectortelescoper, Both 2-4AB and S--24C radial sensors view spac&through tho Elquators of the sate.lite, perpendicular to thespin ax:Ls, eo that as -he -:atsllite spina the sensors scanthrough 3 6 0dxgreax . Use is made of the satell1te's attitudereference system, to divide the 360 dograes into eight 45-degreecounting sector.,3. S-243 and S-24C axial sensors view alongthe spin axis.S-58/s 73 will nRanure bo0;n thai energy distribution andangular Distribution of the positive (proton) 'o'ponent et thesolar wind. The sensor conaslat of a hamihpherical elecr3o-static analyzer to select proto)ia or a given energy and aFaraday cup to oolle.- anld envi-iRt the W*e4< ad pretons. Ifrhsensor views through the eqtator of the ss.tellite and so canmake Rngular measiureaent-s av thi satellite spirs about itsaxis .By makiag use of tho ripacAraft's aititude control

systei2,s the direction of the spin axis can be varled so thatthevie experimerate can scan, fo r 6xaxple, first in the plansof tns; eolipi:tl anrd thnra pot-pondioular to the soliptic. T11i sreorientationt .ature lmJ.o anAbles inlteraalibration or sensorsto be made.

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S-'*2 consists of a four-element, solid state-detectortelescope and is desined to measure electvions, protons andalpha particles of solar and galactic origin over wi.de energyranges.S-79 will measure the spectrum of high energy cosmicray electrons in the range 50 to 600 MeV. The sensor, afour-e).ement telescope, embodies a gas Cerenkov detectorto filter out effectivcly a large proportion of the greaterproton flux at comparable energies.S-16 At a predetermined point in the orbit of thespacecraft a capsule will be ejected containing a barium/copper oxide mixture. When the capsule is scae 40 an fromthe spacecraft, the mixture will be ignited, releasing acloud of bari.um tons and atoms which will be furhter ionizedby solar radiation. This cloud will be observed from groundstations in North and South America and its motion will yieldiLformation on the magnetic field at the ignition point. Thechoice o:tf location of the ground stations and time of releasemusu taki into account the weather conditions at the stations,

the position of the Sun and the position and phase of the Moon,to optimize the observation conditions.-more-


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'4 -PRINCIPAL LAY-OUT HEOS-A

TOTAL MASS 109 kg-MAGNETOMETER

ANTENNAS

BOOM - - N2-80&vTLE(TRIPOD)OCTAGON // . INSTRUMENTATION(Al SANDWICH) + TELEMETRYEXPLIEIMENTS SE NSORS(EXP./TyP.)THERMAL SHIELD /SOLAR PANELSWITH MYLR INEGL-CONSTRUCTIONJSENJSORS(ATTITUDE rONIROL)Rv(TYP.)

CONTROL YALVES

3.S-- ADAf-TER3.STAGE (M-SHEET-MEtAL-CONST.THOR DELTA I I Mg-INTEGRAL-CONSTRUCTION)

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SPACECRAT

HEOS is an cctagonal structure 255 centimeters highand 130 centimeters in diameter. It will have an expectedlifetime of one year. The satellite will be spin stabilizedat 10 rpm, a rate that will be regulated by a gas jet system.The spin axis is capable of reorientation. The inertialattitude of the spacecraft 1w.ll be determined with an accuracyof + 2 degrees by the attitude measurement system. Exteriorof the spacecraft carries 8,576 solar cells for electricalpower generation.

Eclipees of less than one hour are predictd forDthe first six months In orbit and thereafter eclipses nearapogee of only three hours are expected. During long eclipsesthe spacecraft systems, except the command receiver, will beshut down; consequently only a 5 arapere-hour battery iscarried.All data will be transmitted in real time, the telemetryrate being 12 bits per second. The transmitter operateson 136.65 megahertz and has a power of 5.5 watts. Seventycommands can be transmitted to the spacecraft via the commandreceiver operating on 148.?5 megahertz. Almost 100 per centtelQ;aetry coverage will be possible at one or other of the;STRACK stations at Redu, Belgium and Fairbanks, Alaska.

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LAUNCH VEHICLE

The HEOS-A will be launched by NASA's Improved Deltarocket. The Delta will be launched from Complex 17B at CapeKennedy on an initial launch azimuth of 89.8 degrees. The15-minute launch window opens at 2 P.M. EST and is acceptableDec. 5 through Dec. 13.Spacecraft aeparation is scheduled some 50 minutes after

liftoff midway between Africa and Australia, 28 degrees Southlatitude and 90 degrees East longitude (northeast of AmsterdamSt. Paul Island in the Indian Ocean).The Delta rocket is the firmt launching service to be 4purchased from NASA by a fireign country. The European SpaceResearch Organization will be charged an amount of $8 3/4 million.The launch vehicle, including a thrust-augmented Thor

first stage, the enlarged Delta second stage, and the Fw-4third stage, is known as the Thrust Augmented Improved Delta(TAID).Delta project management is directed by NASA's GoddardSpace Flight Center. Launlch operations are conducted by theKennedy Space Center Unmanned Launch Operations. The DouglasAircraft Co., Santa Monica, Calif., is the prime contractor.

Delta StatisticsThe three-stage Delta for thle HEOS-A mission has thefollowing characteristics:Height: 92 feet (includes shroud)Maximum Diameter: 8 feet (without attached Bolids)Liftoff Weight: about 75 tonsLiftoff Thrust: 270,000 pounds (including strap-onsolids)First St e liuid only): Mudified Air Force Thor,produced by Do as Aircrait Co,, engines produced by Rocket-

dyx-e Division of North American Aviation.Height: 51 feetDiameter: 8 feet

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Weight: approximately 53 tonsThrust: 3J22,000 poundsBurning Time: 2 minutes, 30 secondaPropellants: RP-l kerosene is used as the fuel andliquid oxygen (LOX) is utilized as theoxidizer'.Str-on Solids: Three solid propellant Castor II rocketsproduced by the Thiukol Chemical Corp.Height: 25 feetDiameter: 3 feetwIeight: 30,000 pounds (all three sclids)Thrust: 100,000 pounds (all three solids)Burning thjne: 38 secondsPropellants - solidSecond Stage: Produced by the DO?2g3as Aircraft Co.,utilizing the Aerojet-General Corp., AJ-1-118E propulsionsystem; major contractors for the auto-pilot system includeMinneapolis-Honeywell, Inc., Texas Instruments, Inc., andElectrosolidis Corp.Height: 16 feetWeight: 61 tonsDiameter: 4.7 feetThrust: 7,700 poundsBEirning Time: 6 minutes, 26 secondsPropellants: Liquid-Unsy-eaetrical Dimethyl Hydrazlt.le(U1MH) for th e fuel and Inhibited Red IumingNitric Acid (IRFIZA) fo r the oxidizer.

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Third Stage: FW-4 developed by the United TechnologyCorp.Height: 5 feet, 2 inchesDiameter: 19.6 inchesWeight: about 660 poundsThrust: 5,450 poundsBurning Time: 31 secondsPropellant: solid

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SEQUENCE OF LAUNCH EVENTSVelocityEvent Time SurfaRce-a e Altitude* (miles per hourl

Solid Motor Bu-nout 38 sec. 3.0 miles 5.0 miles 1,347Solid Motor Separatiron 60 zec. 9.0 miles 12.0 miles 1,828Main XQngine Cutoff 2 min.,(KECO) 30 sec. 108 miles 66 miles 9,000Second Stage Ignition 2 mnin., 124 miles 71 miles 8,98336 sec.Shroud Sezaration 2 min., 143 miles 81 miles 9,01846 sec.Second Engine Cutoff 9 nun., 1,264 miles 267 miles 16,2444 2 sec.Third Stage Ignition 48 min., 11,765 miles 277 miles 16.,20:0

35 sec.Third Stage Burnout 49 min., 11,916 miles 284 miles 22,8406 sece.

* All distances are statute miles.


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-15.-IEOS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

European Space Research OrganizationProfessor Hermuann Bondi Director GeneralJean-Albert Dinkespiler Director, Plans and ProgramsMarcel Depasse Director of AdministrationWerner Kleen Director, European SpaceTechnology Center,Noordwijk, The NetherlandsPierre Blassel Director, Satellite andSounding Rocket DepartmentJean V. Vandenkerckhove Project ManagerGraham Booth Deputy Project ManagerAndre Moritz Deputy Project ManagerDie Ter Lennertz Test DirectorErnpt Trendelenberg Director, Space ScienceDepartmentBrian Taylor Project ScientistUgo Montaienti. Director, European OperationsCenter, Darmetadt,Federal Republic of Germany,ASARobert W. Manville Program Manager, HeadquartersIsaac T. Gillam Delta Program ManagerHeadquartersWilliam R. Schindler Delta Project ManagerGoddardRobert J. Goss HEOS-A Project ManagerGoddardDr. Kurt H. Debus DirectorKenaedy Space CenterRobert H. Gray Director, Unmanned TaunchOperations, Kennedy SpaceCenter

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-16-Hugh Wi;ston Manager, Delta Operations

Kennedy Space Center

INDUJSTRIAL PARTICIPANTS

Prime ContractorJunkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke GmbH, Munich, FRG

Co-ContractorsBritish Aircraft Corp., Stevenage, UKEtudes Techrniques et Constructions Aerospatiales,Charle'-.t, BelgiumMessersc aitt AT. Augsbourg, FRGSociete h.tionales d'Etudes et de Constructions de MoteLrsd'Aviation, Paris, France

CGnsultantLockheed Missiles and Space Corp., California, USA

Communications EquipmentCompagnie Francaise Thomson-Houston-Brand-Hotchkiss,Paris, FranceSociete Anonyme de Telecommunication, Paris, FranceLaboratori Elettronici e Nucleari, Milan, Ttaly

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heos-a press kit

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