SERT 2A
| SERT 2A | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Country: |
 United States
|
| Operator: | NASA |
| COSPAR-ID : | 1970-009A |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 1404 kg |
| Size: | 762 cm in length; 152 cm diameter |
| Begin: | February 4, 1970, 02:49 UTC |
| Starting place: | Vandenberg SLC-2 |
| Launcher: | Thorad Agena D SLV 2G |
| Status: | in orbit |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 105 min |
| Track height: | 1000 km |
| Orbit inclination : | 99 ° |
| Apogee height : | 995 km |
| Perigee height : | 1007 km |
SERT 2A ( Space Electric Rocket Test ) was a satellite of the US space agency NASA and the second satellite as part of the Space Electric Rocket Test program. As part of the program, electric ion thrusters were to be developed and tested.
construction
The cylindrical satellite used the Agena-D upper stage as the basic structure and had a length of 762 cm and a diameter of 152 cm and a mass of 2000 kg. SERT 2A had two solar cell surfaces with a size of 105 × 570 cm. They supplied the two mercury ion engines with energy (total output 1.5 kW). Due to the low output of the solar cells, only one engine could be operated at a time.
mission
After the successful start, the ion thrusters on board were started for different lengths of time. The ion thrusters on board operated until 1981. One engine achieved a total operating time of 2011 hours, the other one of 3781 hours. In total, the engines were started 300 times. Building on this experience with ion thrusters, z. B. the space probe Deep Space 1 equipped with comparable technology.
Web links and sources
- Herbert Pfaffe, Peter Stache: spacecraft. A type book , 1972
Individual evidence
- ↑ SERT 2 in the NSSDCA Master Catalog , accessed December 30, 2013 (English).