Ariel 4
First UK mission-oriented satellite with an American experiment.
Ariel 4, originally designated UK 4, was a British satellite operated by the Science and Engineering Research Council for ionospheric research. It also became the first Ariel programme satellite to carry an American experiment.
Quick Facts
- Operator
- SERC; NASA
- Mission duration
- 1 year (design life)
- Manufacturer
- BAC
- Launch mass
- 99.5 kg / 219 lb
- Launch rocket
- Scout B-1-F S183C
- Launch site
- Vandenberg SLC-5
- Launch contractor
- NASA
- Decay date
- 12 December 1978
Facts from the source article.
Design
Ariel 4 reduced costs by reusing the design and hardware of Ariel 3, including pieces from its predecessor's flight backup unit and spare parts. It was the first Ariel programme satellite capable of performing attitude maneuvers and the first with a mission-oriented payload, where all experiments targeted a single scientific objective: studying the interaction between high energy charged particles and electromagnetic radiation in the upper ionosphere and magnetosphere. Three experiments from Ariel 3 were improved for this purpose, and an additional experiment was added. Experiments accounted for 18.5 kg of the spacecraft's mass. It was also the first Ariel satellite to carry an American experiment.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Ariel 4 launched?
Ariel 4 was launched on 11 December 1971.
Who operated Ariel 4?
Ariel 4 was operated by SERC and NASA.
More in Space Programme of the United Kingdom
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