Sunday, April 28, 1991

Biosatellite 2

   1967-083A


The Biosatellite B payload was similar to Biosatellite A. Launched at 2204 on 1967 Sep 7 by Delta from Cape Kennedy, Biosatellite II entered a 90.5 min, 296 x 318 km x 33.5 deg orbit at 2214.

The GSFC control center decided to bring the vehicle back early, on orbit 30 instead of orbit 46, because of control problems and a tropical storm near the recovery area. On Sep 9 the adapter section was separated, the retro motor fired and the reentry vehicle descended into the atmosphere. The parachutes deployed successfully and the Biosatellite II experiment capsule was captured in mid-air by a recovery plane at 7o 15' N, 162o 1' W at 1915 UT on Sep 9. (The program report says 6 55N 162 10W.) The adapter section reentered on Oct 4.

After orbit insertion, the Delta second stage was briefly restarted in the first test of this capability on a Delta.


Biosatellite 2 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1967 Sep 7  2204:26  Launch by Delta G  CK LC17B 
 2206:55  T+2:29 Thor S/N 20213 MECO 
 2206:56  T+2:30? Delta S/N 20202 burn 
 2207:08  T+2:42 Fairing 
 2213:15T+8:47 Delta SECO 
 2214Delta sep  90.5 296 x 318 x 33.5 
 2226  sep+13:20: SES-2 experimental, 2.6s 
 2226  SECO-2 
1967 Sep 9  1840:26 R+0 Adapter sep 
  R+2s spinup
 1840:29 R+3s Deorbit, 10s burn 
 1840:40  Retro burnout 26S 143E 
 1840:41  R+15s Thrust cone sep 
  Reentry 
 1856:16  G-switch close 
 1858:26  R+18min, eject aft thermal cover 
 1858:26 Drogue out  
 1858  Heat shield sep 
 1858:38  Main chute 
 1915:26 Mid-air recovery 7 15N 162 1W 
 1922:00  Capsule aboard aircraft 
 2236  Aircraft landed 
1967 Sep 11  Adapter end of tx on rev 62 
1967 Oct 4   Adapter reentry 

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