1964-004A
The A-12 payload, Echo II after launch, was launched at 1359:04 on 1964 Jan 25. Unlike the earlier Echo flights, this one used a Thor Agena B launch vehicle and went to a polar orbit from the West Coast. Orbit was achieved at 1448:52, a little low because one fairing half failed to separate until parking orbit. At 1454 the balloon was ejected from its canister and inflation began. The inflation was partially successful. The balloon was used for communications experiments from 1964-65, and for geodetic experiments until its reentry at around 1815 on 1969 Jun 7, over Okhotsk, Siberia. Like Echo I, this satellite's only active payload was the pair of battery powered 107 MHz radio beacons, 25cm discs on opposite poles of the sphere.
The Agena carried a camera to monitor the deployment.
| Echo 2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Jan 25 | 1359:04 | Launch by Thor Agena B | V 75-1-1 |
| 1401:39 | Thor MECO (T+2:35) | ||
| 1401:48 | Thor VECO (T+2:44) | ||
| 1401:58 | Thor sep (T+2:54) | ||
| 1402:13 | Agena 6301 burn (T+3:09) | ||
| 1402:17 | Fairing sep, one half failed | ||
| 1406:11 | Agena 6301 MECO (T+7:07) | 296 x 1103 x 81.6 | |
| 1448:48 | Agena 6301 burn 2 (T+49:44) 3s | ||
| 1448:49 | Fairing half separated | 100.76 291 x 1297 x 81.6 | |
| 1448:51 | Agena MECO-2 | 108.2 1033 x 1313 x 81.6 (VCR) | |
| 1454 | Canister ejected | ||
| 1455 | Canister halves separate | ||
| 1522 | Inflation | ||
| 1530 | Pressure maximum reached | ||
| 1964 Jan 27 | 0135 | 108.84 1030 x 1315 x 81.5 | |
| 1964 Mar 5 | 108.76 984 x 1354 x 81.5 | ||
| 1964 Oct 30 | 108.61 1144 x 1180 x 81.5 | ||
| 1966 Dec 16 | 107.35 940 x 1267 x 81.4 | ||
| 1968 Nov 5 | 103.17 887 x 929 x 81.4 | ||
| 1969 Jun 5 | 94.48 464 x 522 x 81.4 | ||
| 1969 Jun 7 | Reentered | ||
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