Meteoroid Technology Satellite

8/8/2019 Meteoroid Technology Satellite

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/meteoroid-technology-satellite 1/6



SPACECRAFT TO EXPLORE METEOROID HAZARD

A satellite designed to gather information on the haz-

ards spacecraft encounter from minute particles in space,

will be launched no earlier than Sunday, August 13 from

NASA's Wallops Station, Virginia.

The Meteoroid Technology Satellite is designed to

gather engineering and scientific information on meteoroid

penetration rates in a bumper-protected target and to obtain

data on meteoroid speeds and quantities.

It will be launched by a Scout rocket in a southeast-

erly direction from Wallops Island. The intended orbit will

have an apogee of 815 kilometers (506 statute miles) and a

perigee of 491 kilometers (305 statute miles). The satellitewill circle the Earth every 98 minutes on a path inclined

37.7 degrees to the Equator.

When successfully in orbit, the Meteoroid Technology

Satellite (MTS) will be named Explorer 46 (XLVI).

Langley Research Center manages the Meteoroid Technology

Satellite project under the overall guidance of NASA's Office

of Aeronautics and Space Technology. Langley is also respon-

sible for the spacecraft, the Scout launch vehicle, and forsystems integration. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,Maryland, is responsible for tracking and data acquisitionfor the satellite. Launch support and related functions are

furnished by Wallops Station.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Primary objectives of the meteoroid satellite are:

(1) to evaluate multi-sheet bumper configurations asmeteoroid protection structures: and (2) to obtain a better

understanding of the meteoroid environment in near-Earth

space.

The MTS flight will be the first attempt to find out

under actual space conditions how effectively a multi-

sheet bumper can protect a spacecraft. The bumper concept

consists of two thin sheets of metal separated by a space

of 12.7 millimeters (one-half inch).

Laboratory experiments suggest that the two sheet bum-

per may provide better resistance to penetration than a

single sheet of metal of greater total thickness. Flight

measurements during the anticipated one-year lifetime of

the MTS should provide confirmation of the laboratory re-

sults.

In addition to the primary bumper experiment, the MTS

will carry 12 velocity detectors and 64 capacitance-type

detectors to measure the impact flux distribution of small



SIGNIFICANT COUNTDOWNEVENTS

TIME EVENT DESCRIPTION

T-7 hours 15 minutes Initial Communications Check

2, Launch Complex and Vehicle

Activation

T-7 hours, 10 minutes

T-7 hours, 5 minutes Initial Spacecraft

Electronic Checks

4. T-6 hours, 55 minutes Scout Electronic Systems

Checkout

5, Range Tracking Systems

Checkout

T-S hours, 10 minutes

6. T-2 hours, 25 minutes Launch Vehicle Erection

7. Launch Test Rocket FromPad 2

T-45 minutes

8 Terminal Countdown-30 minutes

T-16 minutes All Unit Station Check

10 T-8 minutes Guidance Jet Reaction Test

Start Launch Vehicll

Automatic Sequencer

T-2 minutes

12 T-30 seconds Range Programmer -Launch

Vehicle Interlock Release

T-IO seconds Automatic Sequencer Pr.

grammer Confirm Go for

Lift Off

14 T-Q

T+l minute, 22 seconds

Ignition and Lift Off

First Stage Burnout at

Second Stage Ignition

T+2 minutes, 2 seconds Second Stage Burnout

17 T+2 minutes, 43 seconds Third Stage Ignition,

Second Stage Separation

T+3 minutes, 19 seconds Third Stage Burnout

T+9 minutes, 26 seconds Fourth Stage Ignition

20 T+9 minutes, 57 seconds Fourth Stage Burnout and

Satellite Injection





LAUNCH WINDOW

The MTS has a 3-day launch window, Sunday through Tuesday,

August 13-15, 1972 from approximately 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.

EDT.

LUNCH

The Main Base Cafeteria will be open for lunch immediately

after liftoff.

TOUR

A special ride-by tour for visitors will be conducted

approximately two hours after liftoff beginning at the

causeway gate. There will be time for lunch after launchand before the tour. Visitors may join the tour in their

private vehicles. The tour will be conducted ~ after

successful launch.



MTS PROJECT TEAM

Langley Research Center

Project ManagerProject ScientistMission Analysis EngineerTechnical Project EngineerInstrumentation Project Engineer

Spacecraft Integration ManagerExperiments EngineerProject Electrical Engineer

Project Pyrotechnic EngineerHea~ Scout Project Office

Launch OperationsMechanical SystemsGround Support EquipmentFluid SystemsElectrical SystemsGuidance Systems

Telemetry SystemsPayload CoordinatorQuality Assurance

Charles V. WoernerWilliam H. KinardJohn E. CooperHugh C. HallidayLeon V. TaylorErskine C. WhiteJose M. AlvarezClyde J. MayWilliam L. GasterR. D. English

Clyde W. WintersW. Bruce DunnPatrick H. SheaWillard L. SullivanJoseph F. DixonFranklin P. Keesee,John L. Allen, Jr.Larry R. TantPhilip E. Everhart

Tecwyn RobertsJames M. StevensJohn Quill

Goddard Space Flight Center

Director, STDN

Director, MST Network

Director, Network Support

Manned Spacecraft Center

Co-investigator, Impact Velocity

Experiment Paige B. Burbank

Bernard G. Achhammer

NASA Headquarters

Program Officer

Wallops Station

Test Director

Project Engineer

William L. LordWilliam T. Burns

Documents

Meteoroid Technology Satellite