P
Program
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
P designations were given to a series of classified US military technology and operational satellites launched from the 1960's.
Subtopics
P-14 American solar satellite. Magnetic field data. Research satellite built by NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center for NASA, USA. Launched 1961.- RM 18 & Null
- UVR (P68-1) Null
P 72 American military technology satellite. Unknown satellite lost on a single Atlas launch failure. Evidently not repeated.- RM 20 (P72-2) Null
P 76 American communications technology satellite. Communications propagation experiments.- P 21, 21A Ionospheric research (suborbital) satellite operated by NASA, USA.
- P80-2 Technology, science satellite built by Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Ball Space Systems, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for US Air Force.
Chronology
7 events
1961 February 25
00:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC26B. LV Family: Jupiter. Launch Vehicle: Juno II. FAILURE: Third Stage failed to ignite.. Failed Stage: 3.- Explorer - . Payload: S-45. Mass: 34 kg (74 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Explorer. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: P. Spacecraft: P-14. Decay Date: 1961-02-24 .
1961 March 25
15:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.- Explorer 10 - . Payload: P-14. Mass: 35 kg (77 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Explorer. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: P. Spacecraft: P-14. Decay Date: 1961-06-30 . USAF Sat Cat: 98 . COSPAR: 1961-Kappa-1. Apogee: 181,100 km (112,500 mi). Perigee: 221 km (137 mi). Inclination: 33.00 deg. Period: 5,013.90 min. Magnetic field data. Decay date suspect Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B)..
1961 May 24
19:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC26B. LV Family: Jupiter. Launch Vehicle: Juno II. FAILURE: Second Stage failed to ignite.. Failed Stage: 2.- Explorer S-45A - . Payload: S-45A. Mass: 33 kg (72 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Explorer. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: P. Spacecraft: P-14. Decay Date: 1961-05-24 .
1975 April 13
00:51 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3W. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas F. FAILURE: First stage failure due to explosion in flame pit at lift-off.. Failed Stage: 1.- P 72-2 - .
Nation: USA.
Agency: USAF.
Class: Technology.
Type: Military technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: P.
Spacecraft: P 72.
Decay Date: 1975-04-12 .
Space Test Program flight P72-2 was launched; it carried two infrared radiometers and three other payloads. The launch failed when the Atlas F launch vehicle malfunctioned. A lack of deluge water and collection in the flame bucket of a kerosene/liquid oxygen gel led to the explosion of the gel on lift-off, damaging one of the Atlas engines and leading to complete engine failure during the ascent.
1976 May 22
07:42 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC5. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout B-1.- P 76-5 - .
Mass: 73 kg (160 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: USAF STP.
Class: Technology.
Type: Communications technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: P.
Spacecraft: P 76.
USAF Sat Cat: 8860 . COSPAR: 1976-047A. Apogee: 1,044 km (648 mi). Perigee: 981 km (609 mi). Inclination: 99.60 deg. Period: 105.40 min.
A Scout vehicle carrying a Space Test Program spacecraft was successfully launched from SLC-5 at the Western Test Range. The spacecraft, Flight P76-5, carried a wideband signals experiment sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency. Communications propagation experiments.
1978 January 3
- Spacecraft for the Satellite Infrared Experiment (SIRE). - .
Spacecraft Bus: P.
Spacecraft: P80-2.
Lockheed Missiles and Space Company was awarded a $34 million contract to build a spacecraft for the Satellite Infrared Experiment (SIRE), designed to measure long wave infrared signatures. The spacecraft would also carry two secondary payloads - a space sextant and a sensor that would measure the isotopic composition of solar flares.
1979 April 26
- Satellite Infrared Experiment terminated - .
Spacecraft Bus: P.
Spacecraft: P80-2.
SAMSO terminated the SIRE (Satellite Infrared Experiment) contract with Lockheed because of large cost overruns. The SIRE payload was to have been launched on flight P80-2 and was to have measured the long wave infrared signatures of space objects against the stellar background. SAMSO began to develop a program to fly the SIRE sensor on space shuttle sortie missions around the mid-1980s.