S-55

Class: Earth. Type: Micrometeoroid. Nation: USA. Agency: NASA.

Micrometeoroid research.

Typical orbit: 444 x 1101 km, 47.2 deg inclinaton. Associated Launch Vehicle: Scout X-1, Scout X-3, Scout X-4.

S-55 Chronology

1961 August 25 - Explorer 13 - Program: Explorer. Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Scout X-1. FAILURE: Partial Failure. Mass: 86 kg (189 lb). Perigee: 125 km (77 mi). Apogee: 1,164 km (723 mi). Inclination: 37.70 deg. Period: 97.50 min.
Useless orbit; micrometeoroid research. Partial Failure.

1961 June 30 - Explorer (13) S 55 - Program: Explorer. Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Scout X-1. FAILURE: Third stage did not ignite, and the vehicle was destroyed. Mass: 84 kg (185 lb). Apogee: 172 km (106 mi).
Micrometeorite counter satellite (S-55).

1962 December 16 - Explorer 16 - Program: Explorer. Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Scout X-3. Mass: 100 kg (220 lb). Perigee: 744 km (462 mi). Apogee: 1,159 km (720 mi). Inclination: 52.00 deg. Period: 104.10 min.
Micrometeoroid data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1964 November 6 - Explorer 23 - Program: Explorer. Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Scout X-4. Mass: 134 kg (295 lb). Perigee: 463 km (287 mi). Apogee: 980 km (600 mi). Inclination: 51.90 deg. Period: 99.20 min.
Micrometeoroid data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

Bibliography and Further Reading

NASA Report, Explorer XVI Micrometeoroid Satellite , . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19630002763_1963002763.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

NASA Report, Micrometeoroid Satellite Explorer XIII , . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19650002602_1965002602.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

NASA Report, Protecting Explorer XVI Solar Cells, . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19640003257_1964003257.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

NASA Report, The Explorer XXIII Micrometeoroid Satellite- Description and Preliminary Results, November 6, 1964 - February 15, 1965, . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19650021541_1965021541.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

NASA Report, Thermal Design of Explorer XIII Micrometeoroid Satellite , . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19620001665_1962001665.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

NASA Report, Micrometeoroid Satellite /Explorer XVI/ Stainless-Steel Penetration Rate Experiment, . Accessed at: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19640017290_1964017290.pdf. -right click to download pdfs!

JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.

Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.

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