uk-6 press kit

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National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington. DC 20546AC 202 755-8370

For Release IMMEDIATE

Press Kit Project UK-6RELEASE NO: 79-61

ContentsGENERAL RELEASE.................................... 1-4SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION ............................ 5-6UK-6 EXPERIMENTS ................................. 7SCOUT LAUNCH VEHICLE..............................8100 SCOUT LAUNCHE.S ............................... 8LAUNCH VEHICLE D E SC R IPT IO N ..... .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . ..9MISSION PROFILE.................................. 10-12FLIGHT SEQUENCE.................................... 13UK-6/SCOUT TEAE .................................. 14-15

May 14, 1979


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Fir ^z XLlclNational Aeronautics and. Z\ Lmang Space Administration

4G sIW' 9/-1979 Washington, D C 20546AC 202 755-8370

ForWReleaseJim KukowskiHeadquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/755-3090) IMMEDIATE

Maurice ParkerLangley Research Center, Hampton, Va.(Phone: 804/827-2934)

RELEASE NO: 79-61

NASA TO LAUNCH BRITISH SATELLITE

NASA will launch a United Kingdom satellite, called UK-6,aboard a Scout launch vehicle from the Wallops Flight Center,Wallops Island, Va., about May 24, 1979. UK-6 will becomeAriel 6 when it reaches orbit.

The satellite will conduct scientific studies in the fieldof high-energy astrophysics.

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Information gained from the mission should provide abetter understanding of astrophysical phenomena that involvelarge energy densities and their high-energy products, suchas quasars, radio galaxies, supernovae and pulsars.

The launch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT, the beginning ofa two-hour launch window. The Scout vehicle will place thesatellite into an easterly, 6 2 5-kilometer (337-mile) circularorbit at an inclination of 55 degrees. The satellite isdesigned to operate for approximately two years.

The UK-6 fission will be the 100th launch of a Scoutvehicle. Since July 1960, the smallest of NASA's launch sys-tems has successfully completed 85 launches for NASA, othergovernment agencies and several European countries. Scout ismanaged at NASA's Langley Research Canter, Hampton, Va.

The UK-6 program is being conducted on a cost-reimbursablebasis between NASA and the United Kingdom's Science ResearchCouncil. The Council's Appleton Laboratory, Slough, England,is responsible for management of the program and for post-launch operations.

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UK-6 studies of the charge and energy spectra of cosmicradiation can give an insight into the conditions of thesource and the processes of nucleo-synthesis that have occurredin high-energy objects.

This information is important to scientists because cosmicrays are the only sample of matter available from outside thesolar system.

UK-6 will carry three primary science instruments: acosmic ray detector for Bristol University; and two X-rayastronomy experiments, one for Leicester University and theother for Birmingham University and the University College ofLondon's Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

Two technological experiments for the Royal AircraftEstablishment, Farnborough, England, are also on board. Theseexperiments will investigate the performance in orbit of newtypes of solar cells and of metal oxide semiconductor devicesin a space environment.

The four-stage, solid fueled, Scout-D launch vehicle,number S-198, is being prepared for launch by techniciansfrom Langley and the Vought Corp. of Dallas, manufacturersof the Scout.

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The UK-6 satellite was designed, built and tested byMarconi Space and Defence Systems, Ltd., of Portsmouth, England,for the Ministry of Defence, Procurement Executive, in London.

Technical advice during spacecraft development has beenprovided by the Royal Aircraft Establishment.

NASA direction for the project is through the Office ofSpace Transportation Systems, NASA Headquarters, Washington,D.C.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

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SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION

The UK-6 spacecraft is a cylindrical structure similaro the UK-4 spacecraft launched in 1971. The spherical cos-ic ray detector instrument is located et the top of thepacecraft, and the two X-ray experiment instruments areounted on the sides of the structure.UK-6 is 130.8 centimeters (51.5 inches) high; 69.6 cm27.4 in.) in diameter; and weighs 154 kilograms (339.5 pounds).ts main structure is made of aluminum alloy.The spacecraft has six major subsystems: structure,ttitude control, solar cell arrays, power supply, data hand-ing and radio frequency for telemetry and command functions.Spacecraft power is provided by four solar arrays mountedn deployable booms, capable of providing 80 watts (end-of-ife) at a minimum of 13.6 volts. The boom deployment angles 90 degrees to the spacecraft centerline and is capable ofperating over a Sun line aspect range of 180 degrees (+ 45egrees). The span across the booms is 274 cm (9 feet).Communication with the spacecraft is through redundantransmitters, redundant command receivers and a turnstilentennae array mounted on the spacecraft base.Experiment data are relayed through pulse code modulationPCM) telemetry with real-time transmitted at 2,048 bits perecond and play-back data at 8,192 bits per second.Data not handled in real time are stored on two four-rack tape units that can record up to 200 minutes per track.he two tape transports are housed in a single hermeticallyealed container. Data will be stored on each track sequen-ially at a rate of 64 bps and played back at 8,192 bps whenommanded by a ground station.Spacecraft attitude will be determined by onboard solarspect and albedo sensors. Attitude reconstitution is doney on-ground processing. Attitude control uses a magneticorquing system, and torquing can be immediately initiated oneceipt of command from a ground station, or be delayed by aredetermined amount by using a built-in timer in the spacecraft.The spacecraft spin-up system uses a two-shot nitrogenas system with the nitrogen stored in containers located onach boom tip. Gas released from diametrically opposed booms,n command from a ground station, is enough to increase spinate from 15 to 45 revolutions per minute.

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Sphere Thermal*Blanket

Spin Up Gas CylinderI.. ~Bristol University" Gas Scintillator

- SphereLeicester UniversityExperiment

Detet rsPhotOmultaiplierTube Assembly

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DeplocyableSclar Array Bocm

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POOR~~QUAItMagnetorquer IMSSL,/Birmingham UniversityOCoil Experiment Module

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UK-6 EXPERIMENTS

The UK-6 satellite will conduct studies in the field ofhigh-energy astrophysics. The scientific payload will con-sist of three experiments -- a cosmic ray experiment providedby Bristol University and two X-ray experiments, one providedby Leicester University and the other by the Mullard SpaceScience LaboraLry of University College, London, jointly withBirmingham University (called the MSSL/B experiment).Specific scientific objectives of each experiment are:Cosmic Ray Experiment. This investigation will measurethe charge and energy spectra of the ultra-heavy component ofcosmic radiation with particular emphasis on the charge regionof atomic weights above 30.Leicester X-ray Experiment. It will investigate theperiodic and aperiodic fluctuations in emissions from a widerange of X-ray sources, down to sub-millisecond time scales.The experiment will operate in the energy range of 1.2 to 50kiloelectron volts (key).MSSL/B X-Ray Experiment. It will study discrete sourcesand extended features of the low-energy X-ray sky in the rangeof 0.1 to 2 keV. Long and short-term variability of individualX-ray sources will also be studied in conjunction with theLeicester experiment.

Two technology experiments will be flown on UK-6 for theRoyal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, England. Theyare:Solar Cell Experiment. An investigation of the perfor-mance in orbit of new types of solar cells mounted on a flexible,lightweight support.CMOS Experiment. A complementary metal oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) electronics experiment will investigate thesusceptibility of these devices to radiation in a spaceenvironment.

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SCOUT LAUNCH VEHICLEThe Scout-D launch vehicle is a four-stage, solid-fuelocket system. It is 23 meters (75 ft.) long and weighs1,320 kg (47,000 lb.) at liftoff.The four Scout-D motors -- named, from base to top,lgol III, Castor II, Antares IIA and Altair III -- arenterlocked with transition sections that contain guidance,ontrol, ignition, instrumentation system, separationechanics and the spin motors required to stabilize theourth stage.Guidance for Scout-D is provided by an autopilot andontrol is achieved by a combination of aerodynamic surfaces,et vanes and hydrogen peroxide jets.

100 SCOUT LAUNCHESThe Scout launch vehicle is the smallest in NASA's stable,ut it has been one of the most active launch systems sincets first liftoff on July 1, 1960.During the past 19 years, Scout vehicles have placed aide variety of scientific and technical payloads into Earthrbit, serving a broad range of customers. Scout has achievedn operational success rate of 95 per cent.To date Scouts have launched 78 payloads for NASA andther government agencies and 21 payloads for European nations,ncluding the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France and theetherlands. Launch sites have included NASA's Western Testange in California, 51; Wallops Flight Center, Va., 40; andhe San Marco launch platform off the east coast of Kenya,frica, 8.The UK-6 launch is the sixth for the United Kingdom andhe 41st to be launched from Wallops.

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SCOUT LAUNCH VEHICLE

FOURTH STAGE g AEM-BAND -PACECRAFTSPACECRAFT FW-48ALTAIR m A

l - -A. ITARES 1ATHIRD STAGE

'l CASTOR IASECOND STAGE

,*-ALGOL = AFIRST STAGE

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MISSION PROFILE

The Scout vehicle will be launched on an azimuth of 133degrees, with the first stage ignited by blockhouse command.The first stage will burn for approximately 80 seconds andlift the vehicle to an altitude of 38 km (24 mi.) and a rangeof 38 km (24 mi.).

After first stage burnout, the vehicle will coast for6.63 seconds. The second stage will then be ignited to pro-vide thrust for 39 seconds, taking the vehicle to an altitudeof 85 km (53 mi.) and a range of 119 km (74 mi.). The secondstage will coast for 6.25 seconds after burnout.

Just before third stage ignition and during the coastperiod, the heat shield will be ejected at an altitude of 90km (56 mi.). The third stage motor will be ignited 131 secondsafter liftoff at an altitude of 94 km (58 mi.) and a range of138 km (86 mi.).

The third stage will burn out after 34 seconds of thrust-ing. It will then coast for 460 seconds so the vehicle canattain the proper altitude and attitude for injection intoorbit by the fourth stage.

During the coast to perigee altitude, one yaw maneuverwill place the vehicle in the proper inclination for orbitalinsertion. When the yaw maneuver is completed, and just be-fore fourth stage ignition, the spacecraft and fourth stagewill be spun-up to 132 revolutions per minute. The spin-upis to reduce pointing errors that couild influence the orbitalparameters during insertion into orbit.

The fourth stage motor will thrust for approximately 34seconds and increase the velocity to 27,207 km/hr (16,906 mph).When thrusting is completed, the fourth stage and the space-craft will be inma circular orbit of 625 km (388 mi.). Theinclination will be 55 degrees and the orbital period 97minutes. UK-6 has a planned lifetime of two years.

The final vehicle function will be to separate the satel-lite from the spent fourth stage, allowing UK-6 to proceedwith its mission.

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To assure mission objectives, the spacecraft spin axiswill be commanded to a sequence of orientations in space,each position held fixed while data from the X-ray experi-ments are collected. The spin axis maneuvers will be , dein accordance with the X-ray experimenter's observing program.The cosmic ray experiment has no specific spin axispointing directicn requirement, except the need to maintainthe experiment detector temperature below a specified limit.The NASA SpacecrafL Tracking and Data Network (STDN)station at Winkfield, England, will be the prime tracking,data acquisition and command transmission station for theUK-6 mission. It is controlled by the United Kingdom Opera-tions Control Center (UKOCC) at the Appleton Laboratory, Slough,England. Changes in operating modes of experiments and

sa'ellite pointing direction will be done by commands trans-mitted to the satellite by data links from the UKOCC to theWinkfield station.

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FLIGHT SEQUENCE

Event Time(Min-Sec)

Liftoff 00:00:00First Stage Burnout 01:20:13Second Stage Ignition 01:26:76Second Stage Burnout 02:05:31Payload Heat Shield Separation 02:09:86Third Stage Ignition 02:11:56Third Stage Burnout 02:35:26Spin Motor Ignition 10:19:10Third Stage Separation 10:20:60Retro-Force Command 10:21:10Fourth Stage Ignition

10:25:45Fourth Stage Burnoutand Orbital Injection 10:58:76De-spin Ignition and Boom Deployment 12:20:06Payload Separation 15:20:06

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United KingdomJ. E. Foster Program Manager, Appleton

LaboratoryDr. J. L. Culhane Project Scientist, MullardSpace Science Laboratory,University College, LondonDr. R. K. Burdett Experiments Coordinator,

Science Research CouncilB. W. Jac ..bs Project Manager, Ministryof DefenceA. J. Rogers Control Centre Manager,

Appleton LaboratoryR. C. Cook Project Officer, SpaceDepartment, Royal AircraftEstablishmentPrincipal Science Investigators:Prof. P. H. Fowler Bristol UniversityProf. K. A. Pounds Leicester UniversityProf. R. L. F. Boyd Mullard Space ScienceLaboratory, UniversityCollege, LondonProf. A. P. Willmore Birmingham University

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