Saturday, January 14, 1995

Explorer 21

  1964-060A


IMP B (Interplanetary Monitoring Platform B) was launched on 1964 Oct 4, 0345 by Delta C from Cape Kennedy. The Altair stage again did not burn fully and the satellite was left after orbit insertion at 0352 in a 190 x 95595 km x 33.5 deg orbit instead of the intended 200 x 200000 km, representing a 167.73 m/s underburn. Interplanetary Monitoring Platform 2, which was also given the Explorer designation Explorer 21), operated until 1965 Oct 13. Initially the orbit was toward the Sun along the Earth-Sun line (local noon) and migrated to later local times at 1 degree per day.


IMP 2 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1964 Oct 4  0345:00  Launch by Delta C  CK 
 0347:25  T+2:24 MECO 
 0347  Thor sep 
 0347:28 T+2:28 Delta S/N 20111 burn 
 0348:02  Fairing 
 0350:25  T+5:25 Delta SECO  -690? x 189 x 33.4 
 0351:03  Delta sep 
 0351:07 Altair 2 RH-69 (20103) burn 
 0351:30  Altair burnout over 23.3N 66.7W 
 0352:23  T+7:23 Altair sep  190 x 95595 x 33.5 
  T+7:31 Solar paddles deployed  
  T+7:33 Flux gate booms deployed 
  T+7:42 Stage 3 tumble rockets fired
 0358  Delta reentry? 
1964 Oct 24    2079.83 362 x 94827 x 33.8 
1964 Dec 5   Battery failed 
1964 Dec 10    2081.49 779 x 94467 x 33.7 
1965 Jan 15    2080.18 916 x 94285 x 33.7 
1965 May 21    2080.34 917 x 94290 x 33.7 
1965 Aug   Last transmission
1966 Jan   Reentered 

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