AS-103
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2013) |
Mission type | Spacecraft aerodynamics; Micrometeoroid investigation |
---|---|
Operator | NASA |
COSPAR ID | 1965-009B |
SATCAT no. | 1088 |
Mission duration | 3 years, 6 months, 13 days |
Distance travelled | 3,114,579,139 kilometers (1.935309753×109 mi) |
Orbits completed | ~75,918 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Apollo BP-16 Pegasus 1 |
Launch mass | 15,375 kilograms (33,896 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | February 16, 1965, 14:37:03 | UTC
Rocket | LC-37B |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Decommissioned |
Deactivated | August 29, 1968 |
Decay date | July 10, 1985 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Perigee altitude | 500 kilometers (310 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 736 kilometers (457 mi) |
Inclination | 31.7 degrees |
Period | 97.06 minutes |
Epoch | 22 March 1965[1] |
AS-103 was the third orbital flight test of a
Objectives
Of 12 flight objectives assigned, two were concerned with the operation of the Pegasus satellite, eight with launch vehicle systems performance, one with jettisoning the launch escape system, and one with separation of the boilerplate spacecraft. The satellite objectives were (1) demonstration of the functional operations of the mechanical, structural, and electronic systems and (2) evaluation of meteoroid data sampling in near-Earth orbit. Since the launch trajectory was designed to insert the Pegasus satellite into the proper orbit, it differed substantially from the trajectory used in missions AS-101 and AS-102.
Launch
The launch vehicle consisted of an S-I first stage, an
The vehicle was launched from Cape Kennedy Launch Complex 37B at 9:37:03 a.m. EST (14:37:03 GMT) on February 16, 1965. A hold of 1 hour and 7 minutes was caused by a power failure in the Eastern Test Range flight safety computer. A built-in hold of 30 minutes was also used to discharge and recharge a battery in the Pegasus satellite as a check that it was functioning properly.
The launch was normal, and the spacecraft was inserted into orbit approximately 10.5 minutes after launch. The launch escape system was jettisoned during launch and the command module was jettisoned after orbital insertion. The
Results
The trajectory and space-fixed velocity were very nearly as planned. The Apollo shroud separated from the Pegasus satellite about 804 seconds after lift-off, and deployment of two meteoroid detection panel wings of the Pegasus satellite commenced about 1 minute later. The predicted useful lifetime of Pegasus A in orbit was 1188 days. The satellite was commanded off (decommissioned) on August 29, 1968. Although minor malfunctions occurred in both the launch vehicle and the Pegasus A satellite, mission AS-103 was a success in that all objectives were met. The spacecraft remained in orbit until July 10, 1985, when it re-entered the atmosphere and landed in the ocean.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
External links