imp-f press kit

8/8/2019 IMP-F Press Kit

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NAMl')NAl Al U' )irAIJ1I( ANI) SPA(f ADMINISTRATION TELS WI) -WAS11114( olON 0)( ?0'Ab4T Wf ) -FOR RELEASEt FRIDAY AM.W May 19, 1967

RELEASE NO: 67-121

R PROJECT: ImP-F(To be launched no earlierthan May 24, 1967)CONTENTS

GENERAL RELEASE--------------------- 1-4IMP-F SATELLITE-----------------------------------5EXPERIIMENTS------------------------ ------------------------S agnetic Field Experiment--------------------------6Radiation Experiments--------------------------- 6Galactic & Solar Cosmic Ray Experiments------------Plasma Experiments--------------------------------8PREVIOUS IMP SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS-----------------------8-9DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE----------------------------------10-11IMP-F PROJECT OFFICIALS, EXPERIMENTERS,AND MAJOR CONTRACTORS-----------------------------11-12IMP-F PACT SHEET-------------------------------------13-0-

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E NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TEL WO 2-4155WS WASHINGTON, D.C. 20546 WO 3-6925FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY A.M.May 19 , 1967

RELEASE NO: 67-121

FIFTH IMPMOST COMPLEX

IN SERIES

The most complex spacecraft in the InterplanetaryMonitoring Platforn (IMP) series of Explorer satellites isscheduled for launch by the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration no earlier than May 24 from the Western TestRango, Lompoc, Calif.

Called the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-P (IMP-F),the 163-pound spaoecraft will be the fifth IMP launched. ItIs ton times more complex in design and has more experimentsthan any of the previous IMPs.

IMP-F carries 11 experiments. These will make measure-ments of solar and galactic cosmic rays within and at theboundary of the earth's magnetosphere and in interplanetaryspace. The magnetospheve is an envelope formed by the Earth'smagnetic fields which protects the Earth from radiation.

The basic purpose of the IMP serics of spacecraft is tocollect data for a study of Sun-Earth relationships. Particularemphasis is placed on how solar events influence the Earth'senvironment.


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-2-Previous IMPs made such measurements during a period

when activity on the Sun was at a minimum. IMP-F will con-tinue and advance these measurements as the Sun's activityprogresses towards its maximum phase over the next two years.Solar activity typically goes through an 11-year cycle whichhas an approximate two-year maximum phase followed by a nine-year period when activity declines to a minimum.

A three-stage improved Delta launch vehicle will be usedto place the spin-stabilized IMP-F into orbit. Once in orbit,the spacecraft will be designated Explorer XXXIV. It is designedfor an operational lifetime of one year.

MP-F will be placed into an orbit which will carrythe spacecraft out to 140,300 statute miles and as close as161 statute miles to thte Earth. The spacecraft will circlethe globe onoe every four days. Inclination of the orbitto the equator will be 66.5 degrees.

Valuable scientific infcrmation about the Earth's mag-netoophere has been obtained with scientific instruments carriedaboard previous IMP spacecraft. Studies of the boundary ortransition region between the Earth's magnetosphere and inter-planetary space have been most significant.

Among the important discoveries made by previous IMPspacecraft during mapping missions of the magnetosphere on theSun side of the Earth are:

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-3---the Earth's magnetosphere is preceded by a shock

wave;--a turbulent region or highly energetic plasma exists

between this shook wave and the magnetosphere boundary;--the shock wave and the turbulent transition region

trail back and away from Earth in increasingly wideningbands.

Studies made possible with the IMP spacecraft complementthe scientific objectives of the NASA Orbiting GeophysicalObservatory (000) program. As such, they will contributeto the development of a solar flare prediction capability whichwill aid the NASA Apollo manned Moon landing program.

The IMP-P mission represents a cooperative effort betweenscientists from U.S. Universities, industry and government re-search facilities. These include the Goddard Space PlightCenter, Greenbelt, Md.; the Universities of California,(Berkeley), Chicago, and Maryland, College Park; the Universityor Iowa, Iowa City; and the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies.Also included are the Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill,N.J., and TRW Systems Group, Redondo Beach, Calif.

The IMP series is part or the space exploration nrogramdirected by NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.NASA's Goddard Space Plight Center, manages the project. Thespacecraft is designed, built and tested at Goddard.

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Prime contractor for the three-stage Delta launch vehicleAs the Douglas Aircraft Co. Inc., Santa Monica, Calif. TheFW-4 motor is developed by United Technology Corp., Sunnyvale,Calif.(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS)

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THE IMP-F SATELLITE

The IMP-F is essentially a compact, unmanned physicslaboratory weighing about 163 pounds. It is a spin-stabilizedsatellite, 3imilar in design to the four previous spacecraftlaunched in the IMP series.The basic structure of the IMP-F spacecraft is anoctagon platform which measures 10 inches in height and about28 inches in diameter. All but one of the experiments arecarried inside this platform along with the spacecraft'selectronics.The remaining experiment, a fluxgate magnetometer, iscarried on two fiberglass booms which extend out from thesatellite base 180 degrees apart. These booms measure sixfeet long when extended in orbit.

TelemetryData collected by the satellite's experiments aretransmitted continuously. It is recorded by NASA's Space Track-ing and Data Acquisition Network (STADAN). The telemetry trans-mitter onboard the IMP-F operates at a frequency or 136.14megahertz, with a normal power output of four watts.Four 16-inch telemetry antennas are affixed bo the topof the spacecraft body about 90 degrees apart and extendingoutward at anangle of 45 degrees.

Power SupplyThe IMP-F operates on solar power. The 6,144 solar cellscarried on the spacecraft's four solar arrays convert the Sun'senergy to supply a nominal average of 70 watts and a minimumof 47 watts after one year. About 15 watts of power are re-quired to operate the experiments.A vital part of the power package on this spacecraft isa battery pack which supplies power during periods of peak

power demands and when the spacecraft is not in the sun4ight.This pack contains 13 silver-cadmium batteries, each of whichhas a five ampere-hour storage capability. This is sufficientto operate the spacecraft for two hours without recharge.-flore-


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-7-A further purpose of this experiment is to make an exten-sive search for large-intensity, low-energy protons In theenergy range of 10 to 100 kilo-electron volts at a distance fromthe Earth of 8,000 to 24,000 miles.This device weighs about one and a half pounds and requiresabout one watt of power.

Galactic & Solar Cosmic Ray ExperimentsSix experiments aboard the IMP-F are designed to measureboth galactic and solar cosmic radiation. The composition,intensity and direction of this radiation will be measured by thefollowing experiments:1. Ranz Yeruas Energy Loss (University of Chicago) Thisexperiment usiieaoirdiate cosmic ray detector. It is designedto make definitive measurements of both galactic and solar cosmicray particles when the Sun is most active.It will continue the interplanetary and magnetospheriomeasurements conducted by similar cosmic ray experiments aboardthe IMP6 I, II and III. Weighing about nine and a quarter pounds,this experiment requires about two watts of power for operation.2. Energy Yersus Enorgy Loss (Goddard Space Flight Center)It is a io713 tate detector aesigned to make essentially thesame measwrements as the Range Yersus Energy Loss experiment. Thisexperiment weighs about eight and a quarter pounds and requiresabout two watts of power.3. Low Bnergy Proton and Alpha Detector (Goddard Space Flight

Center) it is designed to measure galactic and solar cosmic rayflux levels, particularly at low energies. Weight of this deviceis about one and a half pounds. It uses almost two watts ofpower.4. Ion Chamber (University of California) Thil experimentserves as a basic monitor of solar cosmic rays. It Is alsosensitive to solar electron events. In addition it will providefurther information on the description of energetic particlepopulations in and beyond the Earth's outer magnetosphere as wellas the dynamic processes that influence these populations and theirrelation to the solar phenomena. Weighing about one and a half

pounds, this experiment uses about one fifth of a watt of power.5. Solar Proton Monitoring Experiment (Applied PhysicsLaboratory--Goddard Space Flight Center) This experiment is alsoa basic monitoring device for solar prot6ne. It is a simple device

designed to operate outside the Earth's magnetosphere and doesnot Save to screen out a background flux of high energy electrons.-more-


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The experiment weighs about three and thrae-quarter pounds andoperates on three quarters of a watt of power.6. Cosmic Ray Anisotropy (Southwest Centor for AdvancedStudies) It is a combination solid state detector and a scintill-ation counter designed to measure the anisotropy or angular distri-bution of solar cosmic rays. Information {ram this experimentwill contribute to a study of the large scale reatures of theinterplanetary field. The experiment weighs about five and threequarters pounds and requires a little over one watt of power foroperation.

Plasma Experiments

The IMP-F carries two experiments to measure the plasma (solarwind) in its orbit. These are:1. Spherical Electrostatic Analyzer (TRW Systems) Designedto obtain a detailed energy spectrum or the solar wind in inter-planetary space, it will also search for particles arriving fromdirections other than that of the Sun. Yet another function ofthis instrument will be to measure the directional properties ofthe solar wind. Weighing about three pounds, this experimentrequires one and three quarters watts of power for operation.2. Plasma Experiment (Goddard Space Flight Center--Univer-sity of Maryland) It is designed to determine the compositionand energy distribution of hydrogen and helium ions in the solarwind and in the transition zone between the wind and the Earth'smagnetosphere. The plasma experiment weighs about five poundsand operates on a little over three watts of power.

PREVIOUS IMP SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS

The scientific community has obtained valuable informationabout the Earth's magnetosphere with experiments carried aboardprevious IMP spacecraft. Studies of the boundary or transitionregion between the Earth's magnetosphere and interplanetary spacehave been most significant.Spacecraft in the IMP series pioneered in the mapping of themagnetosphere on the Sun side of the Earth. Among the importantcontributions made thus far was the discovery of a shook wavepreceding the Earth's magnetosphere. This wave, similar uothat created by a supersonic aircraft, is caused by the solar wind.A turbulent region of highly energetic plasma between the shook

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-9-wave and the magnetosphere boundary also was discovered.

Detailed mapping of the Harth's magnetic field on the night-time side of the Earth has revealed the development of a signi-ficant magnetic tail which does not co-rotate with the Earth.Located within this tail is a large sheet-like magneticallyneutral surface which is caused by lines of force oppositelydirected. These lines are inferred to be directly connected tothe polar cap regions. The neutral sheet is populated with ener-getic electrons which may be the source of radiation leading tothe auroral displays (northern lights) and the Van Allen radiationbelts.

While these discoveries have been the most significant newfindings of the earlier IMP spacecraft, further studies of thestrength, velocity and changes in solar wind plus new insghtsinto the intensity and time variations of cosmic r'ays also hovebeen of more than routine scientific interest.The first IMP spacecraft, Explorer XVIII, waft laiinchad fronCape Kennedy Nov. 23, 1963. More than 5,600 hoiirs of scientificdata were provided by this spacecraft before its transmissionsbecame intermittent in May of 1964.The second IMP, Explorer XXI, was launched from Cape KennedyOct. 3, 1964. Although short of its planned orbit, this space-craft provided added data on the magnetosphere. In all, aboutfive months of useful data was recorded. There is some possibilitythat perhaps as much as a month's more data might be obtainedfrom this spacecraft in the future.Explorer XXVIII, the third IMP, was launched from CapeKennedy May 29, 1965, into a normal orbit. This spacecraft isstill transmitting useful scientific data.

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THE DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE

NASA's improved Delta launch vehicle will be used toboost the IMP-F into orbit. This vehicle includes a thrust-augmented Thor first stage, the enlarged Delta second stage,and the FW-4 third stage.Project management of the Delta launch vehicle is vestedin the Goddard Space Flight Center. Prime contractor is theDouglas Aircraft Co., Santa Monica, Calir.

Delta StatisticsThe three-stage Delta for the IMP-F mission has the fol-lowing characteristics:Height: 92 feet (includes shroud)Maximum Diameter: 8 feet (without attached solids)Liftoff Weight: about 75 tonsLiftoff Thrust: 333,820 pounds (including strap-on solids)First stage (liquid only): Modified Air Force Thor, pro-duced by Douglas Aircraft Co., engines produced by RocketdyneDivision of North American Aviation.Diameter: 8 feetHeight: 51 feetPropellants: RP-1 kerosene is used as the fuel and liquidoxygen (LOX) is utilized as the oxidizer.Thrust: 172,000 poundsWeight: Approximately 53 tonsStrp-on Solids: Three solid propellant Sergeant rocketsproduced by the Thiokol Chemical Corp.Diameter: 31 inchesHeight: 19.8 feetWeight: 27,510 pounds (9,170 each)Thrust: 161,820 pounds (53,94o each)Seoond Sta-e: Produced by the Douglas Aircraft Co.,utilizing thWeAerojet-feneral Corp. AJ110-118 propulsion

systems major contractors for the auto-pilot include Minneapolis-Honeywell, Inc., Texas Instrumonts, Inc., and Electronblids Corp.Propellants: Liquid -- Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine(UENH) for the fuel and Inhibited Red FumingNitric Acid (IRFNA) for the oxidizer.

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Diameter: 4.7 feet (compared to 2.7 feet for the earlierDeltas)Height: 16 feetWeight: 6J tons (compared to 2J tons for the earlier Deltas)hrust: about 7,800 poundsGuidance: Western Electric Co.Third Stage: United Technology Corp., FW-4.Thrust: 5,450 poundsFuel: solid propellantWeight: about 660 poundsLength: about 62 inchesDiameter: 19.6 inches

IMP-F PROJECT OFFICIALS. EXPERIMENTERSAND MAJOR CONTRACTORS

NASA HeadquartersDr. Homer E. Newell, Associate Administrator for Spacecience and Applications.Jesse L. Mitchell, Director, Physics and Astronomy Programs.Frank W. Gaetano, Associate Program Manager.Dr. A. Schardt, ProgrwA Scientist.R. Manville, Delta Program Manager.Goddard SpaceFlight CenterPaul Butler, Project Manager.Benjamin H. Ferer, Assistant Project Manager.Dr. Frank B. McDonald, Project Scientist.William R. Limberis, Project Coordinator.Curtis M. Stout, Tracking and Data Scientist.William B. Schindler, Delta Project Manager.

Kennedy pace enter/Western est angeRobert H. Gray, Assistant Director, Unmanned LaunchOperations, Kennedy Space Center.

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ExperimentersDr. W. L. Brown, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc.,Low Energy Telescope.Dr. K. A. Anderson, University of California (Berkeley),Ion Chamber.Dr. J. A. Simpson, University of Chicago,Range Versus Energy Loss.J. A. Van Allen, University of Iowa,Low Energy Proton and Electron Differential Energy Analyzer.Dr. K. a. McCracken, Graduate Research Center of theSouthwest,Cosmic Ray Anisotropy.Dr. P. B. Harrison, TRW Systems,Spherical Electrostatic Analyzer.Dr. Carl Bostrom, Goddard Space Flight Center,Solar Proton Monitoring Experiment.Dr. K. W. Ogilvie, Goddard Space Flight Center, andDr. T. D. Wilkerson, University of Maryland,Plasma Experiment.Dr. Frank B. McDonald, Goddard Space Flight Center,Low Energy Proton and Alpha Detector.Dr. Frank B. McDonald, Goddard Space nlight Center,Energy Versus Energy Loss.Dr. Norman F. Ness, Goddard Space Flight Center,Magnetic Field Experiment.

Major ContractorsElectro-Mechanical Research, Tnc., College Park, Md.Spacecraft Integration.Douglas Aircraft Co., Santa Monica, Calif.Delta Rocket.

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IMP-F FACT SHIETLaunch: 30-minute daily launch window from space launch com-plex 1, Pad 1, Western Test Range.launch Rocket: Thmnaust Augmented Delta (TAD).Orbit: Apogee: 140,300 statute milesPerigee: 161 statute miles

Period: four daYInclination: 66* degreesDesign Liretime: 12 months2acecraft Weight: 163 pounds, with about 51 pounds ofexperiments.Main Structure: Octagon shape, 28 Inches In diameter.Ap2endages: Four rectangular-shaped solar panels.Four ;ransmitting antennas,, 16 Inches long.

Two hinged magnetometer booms about six reet long.Power System: Power Supply: 6,144 solar cells mounted on fourpanels to supply minimum averagepower or 70 watts with one silvercadmium battery pack capable ofsupplying 45 watts of power fortwo hours.Power requirements: 35 watts average.Communications and Data-Handling fystem:

Telemetry: Pulsed-frequency modulation (PPM).Transmitter: Four watt output at a frequency of 13b,140 mc.Enooder.- PFM with digital data processor (DDP) for ccumu-lation and storage of data.Tracking and Data-Acguisition Stations: Space Tracking and DataAcquisition Network(STADAN) operated byGoddard Space FlightCenter with primarystations located at:Data Acquisition: Santiago, Chile.Tananarive, Malagasy.

Tracking: Kano, Nigeria.Tananarive, Malagasy.Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.Santiago, Chile.

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