Tuesday, September 17, 1991

Explorer 18

 1963-046A


IMP A (Interplanetary Monitoring Platform A, or Interplanetary Monitoring Platform 1 after launch) was the first in the series. The old NASA designation was S-74; the flight spacecraft was S/N 02.

Launch was 1963 Nov 27, 0230:01 by Delta C from Canaveral LC17B. Orbit insertion was at 0236:07 into a 192 x 197616 km x 33.3 deg orbit; the planned apogee was 277000 km but the Altair stage underburned. IMP I operated until 1965 Mar 25. The satellite was also called Explorer 18.


IMP 1 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1963 Nov 27  0230:01  Launch by Delta C CC LC17B 
 0232:27 T+2:26 Thor MECO 
  T+2:28 Delta S/N 20012 SES, 2:51 
  T+3:02 Fairing 
 0235:23  T+5:17s Delta SECO 
 0235:37  T+5:40s Delta sep  -640? x 192 x 33.3  
 0235:43  T+5:44s Altair 2 RH-60 burn, 24s 
 0236:08  T+6:07 Altair 2 burnout  
 0301:21 T+31:20 Altair sep  192 x 197616 x 33.3 
 0301:21 IMP magnetometer deployed
 2112? Pass EL1:4 
1964 Apr 3    5599.52 2072 x 194079 x 35.3 
1964 Sep 4    5602.27 3864 x 192355 x 36.4 
1965 Mar 25    5610.65 4385 x 192043 x 35.2 
1965 Mar 25   End of ops 

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