29SEPT 1962

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
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The first satellite built outside of the USA or USSR was launched this day.

The Canadian S-27 Alouette rode on top a Thor-Agena B booster obtaining an almost circular orbit with an apogee of 650 miles (1,046 km) and perigee of 630 miles (1,014 km), as planned.

The Alouette was produced under the overall direction of the Canadian Defence Research Board and is an oblate spheroid, 42 in. (107 cm) in diameter and 34 in. (86 cm) in height. It's total weight is 320 lb (145 kg), 115 lbs (52 kg) electronic package, 75 lbs (34 kg) of storage batteries, and 47 lbs (21 kg) of antenna.
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The above is quoted from Jane's All The World's Aircraft, 1963-1964 I just happen to be reading today.

The entry says the launch site was Point Arguello, California. However, I believe this to be an error. Camp Cook, present day Vandenburg AFB, is just north of that place.
 
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Electronic components are mounted on a platform on each side of the central structure which contains the sounding antenna and batteries. Attached to this structure's periphery are two half-shell aluminum spinnings which form the satellite's skin. Solar cell panels, made of some 6,500 cells, and two heat-control end-caps are fixed to the outer surface of the shell.

The antenna system employs crossed dipoles, one of which measures 150 ft. (45.7 m) from tip to tip and the other 75 ft. (22.85 m) tip to tip. They were stored compactly within the satellite around spools like a carpenter's rule and were extended on radio command after the satellite had entered orbit.

The Alouette was the first of a series of satellites launched as part of the US-Canadian Topside Sounder programme. It is performing four separate tasks. Sounding the ionosphere below it, the satellite is measuring the way the number of free electrons in the ionosphere changes daily with time of day and latitude. It is measuring the galatic or radio noise that appear to originate in outer space, as well as radio noise produced within the ionosphere. It is also measuring primary cosmic ray particles.

Total date-producing life of the Alouette is expected to be 600 days. It will be followed by four more Canadian satellites during the next four years.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alouette_1 Click the link for picture.
 
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yep. its been spying on your thoughts this entire time. better break out the aluminum foil
 
Richard said:
Holy crap. This real time tracker seems to indicate the S-27 is still in orbit. Is this correct?
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600+ mile orbit altitude, it'll be up forever. Anything above ~400 miles, atmospheric drag is negligible.


Ron Wanttaja
 
Richard said:
Holy crap. This real time tracker seems to indicate the S-27 is still in orbit. Is this correct?

http://www.n2yo.com/?s=424
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It may still be up there but nothing says it is still working. There is a lot of junk floating around up there. I find it interesting that they can identify the stuff (either that, or they are presuming).

Looks like it lasted 10 years:
NORAD ID: 424
Int'l Code: 1962-049A
Perigee: 993.2 km
Apogee: 1,029.0 km
Inclination: 80.5°
Period: 105.2 min
Semi major axis: 7,382.1 km
Launch date: September 29, 1962
Source: Canada (CA)
Comments: Alouette 1 was a small ionospheric observatory instrumented with an ionospheric sounder, a VLF receiver, an energetic particle detector, and a cosmic noise experiment. In September 1972, spacecraft operations were terminated.



 
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silver-eagle said:
It may still be up there but nothing says it is still working. There is a lot of junk floating around up there. I find it interesting that they can identify the stuff (either that, or they are presuming).
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Space Command has some nifty RADAR gear that's not looking at airplanes. :)
 
wanttaja said:
600+ mile orbit altitude, it'll be up forever. Anything above ~400 miles, atmospheric drag is negligible.


Ron Wanttaja
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Alouette 1 remains in orbit and some suggest there is a slim chance it might turn on if the right signals were transmitted. In 1966, it was estimated that Alouette 1 would remain in orbit for 1000 years
 
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