1965-098A
The second Alouette was launched as part of the ISIS-X project together with Explorer 31 on board a Thor Agena B (not a TAT Agena B as claimed in some sources, nor a Thor Agena D as claimed by the VAFB launch list). The first stage was SLV-2 no. 453 and the Agena was S-01 No. 6102; launch was OPS 0533 RE HEAT. Alouette deployed two 36m antennae for its topside sounder beacon for a span of 73m; a second dipole was 23m. Alouette 2 operated for ten years. Alouette 2 was also built by de Havilland Canada. It was 145 kg and 1.1m dia, 0.9m high. Span was 73m.
A higher orbit was planned to match comparable ionospheric conditions at a time of higher solar activity than Alouette 1.
The Agena, Alouette and Explorer entered orbit with the petals of the Explorer adapter - a cylinder-cone which split into at least two and perhaps four sections. Objects 98D and 98E were large and decayed relatively rapidly, with 98F and 98G smaller and decaying much more slowly. Two objects cataloged later, 98K and 98L, were small and decayed very rapidly. Small objects 98J and 98H decayed more slowly, only slightly quicker than the payloads and rocket. I tentatively assign D and E as the petals, with F and G as associaed parts and J, H as the separation clamps.
Payload:
- Topside sounder 73m span and 23m span antennae (DRTE/Warren)
- Particle detectors (NRC-Ottawa/McDiarmid)
- Cosmic radio noise 2-13 MHz (DRTE/Hartz)
- VLF receiver (DRTE/Barrington,Belrose)
- Electron density/temperature electrostatic probes (GSFC/Brace)
| Alouette 2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 Nov 29 | 0448:47 | Launch by Thor Agena B | V 75-1-1 |
| 0451:16 | Thor MECO (T+2:29) | ||
| 0451:25 | Thor VECO (T+2:38) | ||
| 0451:32 | Thor sep (T+2:45) | ||
| 0451:56 | Agena burn (T+3:09) | ||
| T+3:20 Fairing sep | |||
| 0455:48 | Agena MECO (T+7:01) | -100? x 500 x 79.8 | |
| 0538:46 | T+49:59 T+3068.6 Agena MES-2 10.2s over 45E 30S | ||
| 0538:58 | T+50:11 T+3078.8 Agena MECO-2 | 121.40 500 x 2980 x 79.80 (VCR) | |
| Spin table activate | |||
| 0543:23 | T+54:36 Alouette sep | ||
| 0544:04 | T+55:17 Adapter petals sep | ||
| 0545:31 | T+55:44 DME-A sep | ||
| 1965 Nov 30 | 1200 | 121.4 505 x 2987 x 79.8 (RAE) | |
| 1975 Nov 29 | End of transmissions | ||
