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1970-1980
 ITOS-I (TIROS-M)
- The first in the Improved TIROS series of spacecraft, administered under NOAA. ITOS-1
was launched on a DELTA N on the 23rd January 1970. The spacecraft weighed 306.2kg and
lasted 5years. It offered daytime and nighttime cloudcover information.
- Dong Fang Hong-I
(ChiCom I)
- The first Chinese experimental satellite launched on a CSL-1 (Long March-1) into a
441x2386km orbit inclined at 68.4 degrees, on the 24th April 1970 from the launch facility
near Lop Nor. The primary satellite mission was to broadcast the song "Dong Fang
Hong" (The East is red), paying tribute to Chairman Mao, and announce the time. The
satellite was spherically shaped (picture)with 1m diameter, and
weighed 173kg. It ceased transmitting in June 1970.
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- Skynet 1B
- Skynet 1b, a British military satellite, was launched on the 19th August 1970 on a Thor
Delta launcher from Cape Kennedy, and placed into a geostationary orbit. It was designed
to provide secure voice, telegraph and fax links between UK military headquarters and
ships and bases in the Middle and far East. The 285kg satellite was similar to Skynet-1,
and was abandoned in transfer orbit (270 x 36058km) due to a failure of the apogee kick
motor.
- ITOS-A, 1970
- Launched on the 11th December 1970, as the second generation of NOAA world-wide weather
satellite. The satellite weighed 306.2kg.
- Shi Jian-I
- Shi-Jian-I (experiment-1) is a Chinese experimental satellite launched on a CSL-1 (Long
March-1) into a 265x1825km orbit inclined at 69.9 degrees, on the 3rd March 1971. The
satellite mission was to broadcast stored messages. The satellite broadcast messages for
12 days when the batteries apparently failed. Other reports claim the satellite operated
for 8 years. The satellite bus (picture) is similar to that of
Dong Fang Hong-I, with the addition of solar cells. [1] Jane's Spaceflight directory [2]
9th AIAA/USU SCC '95
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- ISIS 2 1971-24A
- ISIS-2 continued the studies of ISIS-1, and was placed into a 1358x1429km orbit inclined
at 88 degrees on the 1st April [31st Mar?] 1971. It weighs 264kg and studiedelectron loss
and production, and large scale transport of ionisation in the ionosphere..
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- San Marco-3
- San Marco-3, an Italian mini-satellite was launched on the 24th April 1971 on a Scout
from the San Marco platform, into a 222x718km orbit inclined at 3 degrees. The 163.3kg
satellite continued the mission of San Marco-2 measuring the neutral atmosphere
composition, density and temperature. It reentered on the 29th November 1971.
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- Solrad
- SOLRAD-10 was launched on a SCOUT-D on the 8th July 1971 from Wallops Island. The
spacecraft was built by the Naval Reasearch Lab and weighed 115.3kg. It carried
experiments to measure solar and stellar radiation, solar flares, and is the third in a
similar series. A model of it can be seen in the Smithstonian in Washington D.C, US.
[ref Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1971 p190]
- ITOS-B, 1971
- Launched on the 21st October 1971, as the second generation of NOAA world-wide weather
satellite.
- Aureole
- Aureole, a {300,400kg} French mini-satellite was launched on a C1 from Plesetsk into a
410x2500km orbit inclined at 74 degrees, on the 27th December 1971. It was used to study
the upper atmosphere and aurora borrealis.
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- HEOS-A2
- An 117kg mini-satellite launched into a highly elliptical 359 x 238199 km orbit, with an
inclination of 89.91 degrees, and had a period of 4d 18h. It was built by ESTEC for ESRO
(now ESA). It was launched on the 31st January 1972 from the Western Test Range,
California on a Thor Delta launcher, and was to investigate interplanetary magnetic fields
and solar particles using 7 on-board experiments. The spacecraft is cylindrically shaped,
1300mm diameter and 750mm height. It reentered the atmosphere on the 2nd August 1974.
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- TD1-A
- Built by Estec for ESRO, this 471kg mini-satellite was launched into a 545 x 533km,
97.55 degree inclined orbit (97min period) on a Delta-N launcher from the Western Test
Range California on the 12th March 1972. The mission studied ultraviolet stellar astronomy
and solar and cosmic ray radiations using 7 on-board experimnts. The spacecraft is box
shaped with deployed panels, and has dimensions 2.11 x 4.5m. The spacecraft fulfilled its
mission and has not been active since 4th May 1974. It decayed on the 9th January 1980.
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- Explorer 48,
1972
- A 186kg mini-satellite launched on the 15th November 1972. The spacecraft measured gamma
rays using a gamma ray telescope.
- Aureole-2
- Aureole, a 400kg French mini-satellite was launched from Plesetsk into a 410x1975km
orbit inclined at 74 degrees, on the 26th December 1973. It was followed on studies
started by Aureole.
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- ESRO-IV
- A 115kg mini-satellite launched on a SCOUT launcher from the Western Test Range
California on the 22nd November 1972. The satellite studied the ionosphere, the lower
magnetosphere and solar particles using 6 on-board experiments. It was built by ESTEC for
ESA. The spacecraft is cylindrically shaped, with a height of 880mm and diameter of 760mm.
It was launched into a 245 x 1178 km orbit with an inclination of 91.1 degrees (99min
period). It reentered the atmosphere on the 15th April 1974.
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- AEROS 1
- AEROS-1 was launched from Vandenberg AFB on a SCOUT-D launcher on the 16th December 1972
into a 223x867km orbit inclined at 97 degrees. The spacecraft was developed between the
German ministry of Science and Technology BMFT/GfW and NASA, with the mission to study the
upper atmosphere and the F region in the ionosphere with respect to ultra violet
radiation. It weighed 126.8kg (125.2 orbital mass), was cylindrical in shape (0.9m diam x
0.71m), with a conical shell at one end with an extendable 1.8m probe, and solar cells at
the other feeding a NiCd battery. It also carried an attitude system with 2x 20N hydrazine
thrusters.The satelite reentered the atmosphere on the 22nd August 1973.
- Explorer 49,
1973
- Explorer-49 was launched on the 10th June 1973. The Radio Astronomy Explorer measured
low frequency radio noise from galactic and extragalactic sources and the Sun, Earth and
Jupiter. The satellite weighed 328kg.
- ITOS-E, 1973
- Launched on the 16th July 1973, as the second generation of NOAA world-wide weather
satellite. It weighed 333.8kg.
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- ITOS-F, 1973
- Launched on the 6th November 1973, as the second generation of NOAA world-wide weather
satellite. It weighed 345kg.
- Skynet 2
- The British Skynet 2A military satellite was launched on the 19th January 1974 on a
Thor-Delta launcher from Cape Canaveral, but a launch failure left it in a 120 x 1857km
orbit which decayed after 6 days. The Marconi built and designed satellite was the first
communications satellite built outside the US and former Soviet Union. It was cylindrical
in shape with a depun antenna platform, and weighed 422kg.
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- San Marco-4
(SM-C2), 1974
- San Marco-4, an Italian mini-satellite was launched on the 18th February 1974 on a Scout
from the San Marco platform, into a 231x910km orbit inclined at 3 degrees. By comparing
the 170kg satellite measuremens with those of Explorer 51 in polar orbit, solar radiation
could be studied. It was used to study the equatorial neutral atmosphere density,
composition and temperature. It decayed on the 4th May 1976.
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- AEROS 2
- AEROS-2 was launched from Vandenberg AFB on a SCOUT-D launcher on the 16th July 1974
into a 224x869km, 97.45 degree orbit, but although it did not reach the intended orbital
height of 230x 900km, it was deemed acceptable. The spacecraft was developed between the
German ministry of Science and Technology BMFT/GfW and NASA, with the mission to study the
aeronomic properties of the upper atmosphere and the solar short wave UV radiation in the
main atmospheric absorbtion band. to ultra violet radiation. It weighed 126.8kg (125.2 on
orbit) and was cylindrical in shape (0.9m diam x 0.71m), with a conical shell at one end
with an extendable 1.8m probe, and solar cells at the other feeding a NiCd battery. It
also carried an attitude system with 2x 20N hydrazine thrusters. The satelite reentered
the atmosphere on the 2nd September 1975.
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- ANS
- ANS-1 was the first satellite for the Netherlands, and was launched on the 30th August
1974 on a SCOUT from Vandenberg AFB. It was placed into a 258x1173km inclined at 98
degrees (500x500km intended). It studied UV spectra of young stars, and hard and soft
X-rays from cosmic sources. A [diagram] shows the internal
layout. It was controlled from ESA's ESOC centre in Darmstadt Germany, and the 129.8kg
satellite reentered on the 14th June 1977.
[ANS home page]
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- ARIEL-5
- The British ARIEL-5 was launched on a SCOUT launcher from San Marco. It was place into a
504 x 549km equatorial orbit inclined at 3 degrees, on the 15th October 1974. The
satellite weighed 129kg and carried six experiments to study X-ray sources. Its data led
to the discovery of a "rapid burster" type of black hole that emits X-ray
bursts. 12 of these were identified between Ariel-5, the Dutch ANS and American SAS-1
satellites. Ariel-5 also discovered over 60 new X-ray sources before reentering the
atmosphere on the 14th March 1980.
- ITOS-G, 1974
- Launched on the 15th November 1974, as the second generation of NOAA world-wide weather
satellite. It weighed 345kg.
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- Skynet 2B, 1974
- Skynet 2B was the replacement for the British Skynet 2A military satellite, and was
launched on the 23rd November 1974 on a Delta launcher from Cape Canaveral, and placed
into geostationary orbit over the Indian Ocean. It was built and designed by Marconi, and
provided communications between the UK and Australia. It was cylindrical in shape with a
despun antenna platform, and weighed 422kg.
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- Helios-1 (Helios-A),
1974
- A German 370kg satellite launched on the 10th December 1974 on a Titan III E Centaur
launcher into a 0.3094x0.985AE solar orbit, in order to study the sun. The
spacecraft was a collaborative venture beween NASA and GfW. It carried 3x 1N, cold gas
(N2) attitude thrusters
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- Explorer 53,
1975
- Launched on the 7th May 1975, Explorer-53 was a small astronomy satellite aiding the
study of X-ray sources within the milkyway and beyond. The satellite weighed 196.7kg.
- Aryabhata,
1975
- Launched on the 19th May 1975, the Indian 360kg satellite was launched
into a 398x409km orbit inclined at 50.7deg from Kapustan Yar on an
Intercosmos launcher . The spacecraft is named after a 5th century
mathematician, and was intended to study the ionosphere. A transformer
failure halted the mission after four days.
Picture (right) courtesy of Bharak-Rakshak
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- COS-B, 1975
- COS-B was launched on the 8th September 1975 on a DELTA 2913 into a 442x99002km orbit
inclined at 90.2 degrees. The 276.9kg spacecraft performed gamma ray measurements
for ESRO. The spacecraft failed on the 26th April 1981.
- Helios-2
(Helios-B), 1976
- A German 371.2kg satellite launched on the 12th January 1976 on a Titan III E Centaur
launcher into a 0.39x1.0AE solar orbit, in order to study the sun. The spacecraft
was a collaborative venture beween NASA and GfW. It carried 3x 1N, cold gas (N2) attitude
thrusters. The spacecraft failed on the 8th January 1981
- UME-1 (JISS),
1976
- Ume-1 (japanese apricot) A Japanese Ionospheric Sounding Satellite (JISS) launched on
29th February 1976 0400UTC on a Japanese N-1 launcher, into a 994 x 1013km orbit, inclined
at 70 degrees. The cylindrical spacecraft weighs 140kg, and has dimensions 820mm and
3940mm diameter. It suffered a power failure after a month in orbit, and was followed by
UME-2 in 1978. It was intended to aid regular observations by means of radio waves of the
global distribution of the critical frequencies of the ionosphere, and for utilization of
the results of the observation for radio wave forecasts and warning necessary for
effective operation of short-wave radio-communication.
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- Lageos-1, 1976
- A NASA 411kg 610mm diameter passive aluminium reflector was launched on the 4th May 1976
on a Delta 2914 into a 225min orbit, and is tracked using laser stations to measure small
perturbations in the Earth's gravitational field. A picture
shows it is a dense sphere of with 426 laser reflectors on its surface. It has an
aluminium shell and brass core providing a large mass to area ratio to minimise the
effects of drag, whilst leaving sufficient room for fitting the reflectors. Reflected
laser beams enable accurate geodetic measurements. Each bolt end inside the satelite
carries a message by Dr. Carl Sagan, and three maps of the Earth's continents over the
ages. The satellite is expected to survive reentry in 8.4 million years!
- ITOS H, 1976
- Launched on the 29th July 1976, as the second generation of NOAA world-wide weather
satellite. It weighed 345kg.
- CHINA-6, 1976
- Chinese experimental satellite launched on Long March into a 195x2145km orbit inclined
at 69 degrees, on the 30th August 1976. The satellite was similar to SJ-1 and DFH-1, and
decayed after 817 days.
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- Tansei-3, 1977
- Tansei-3 was launched on the 19th February 1977 on a M-3H-1 launcher from Kagoshima into
a 790x3810km inclined at 66 degrees. The Japanese satellite weighed 129kg, and confirmed
launcher operation and demonstrated attitude stabilisation.
- ETS-II (Kiku-2),
1977
- Built by NASDA, this 130kg mini-satellite was launched 23 February 1977 on the N-I
launcher from Tanegashima launch center into a Geostationary orbit. It was placed at 130
degrees East. Its shape is cylindrical with 1.4m diameter.
- Signe-3, 1977
- The French Solar Interplanetary gamma neutron experiment was launched into a 459 x 519km
orbit with 50.67 degree inclination by a Russian launcher from Kapustin Yar on the 17th
June 1977. The satellite weighs 106.6kg, is cylindrical in shape, and has dimensions 0.75
and 0.7m diameter. It studies of solar and stellar ultraviolet radiation using spectral
analysis of small and large sources located close to the plane of the ecliptic, and
studies the solar ultraviolet radiation and its absorption by the earth's atmosphere. The
mission remained operational for 733 days.
Picture (right) courtesy of CNES
- GMS-1 (Himawari
1), 1977.
- A Japanese Geostationary engineering test satellite launched on a DELTA on the 14th July
1977 from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft contrinuted to the Global Atmospheric Research
Programme by providing global cloud cover images 14 times per day for weather forecasting.
The satellite showed signs of failing in mid 1984.
- Sirio-1, 1977
- An Italian mini-satellite launched on the 25th August 1977 on a DELTA from Cape
Canaveral. The satellite weighed 398kg, and 220kg once placed in Geostationary orbit at 15
degrees West. The experimental communications satellitewas developed by Compagnio
Nazionale Aerospaziale in order to study SHF propagation. The spacecraft was controlled
from the Fucino groundstation in Italy. In 1983, the satellite was moved to 65 degrees
East under an agreement with China to aid in the development 18GHz communication systems.
- ISEE-A, 1977
- Two spacecraft launched on the 22nd October 1977 in order to study the interaction of
the planetary medium with the Earth's immediate environment. ISEE-A weighed 329kg.
- ISEE-B, 1977
- Two spacecraft launched on the 22nd October 1977 in order to study the interaction of
the planetary medium with the Earth's immediate environment. ISEE-B weighed 157.7kg.
- Sakura
- A Japanese satellite ('cherry') was launched on the 15th December 1977 on a Thor Delta
launcher from Cape Canaveral into a 135 degree East geostationary orbit. The 340kg
satellite carried the first experiments in the millimetric band, and was used for over 4
years, including experiments with mobile Earth terminals.
- Kyokko
(Shinsei-5, Exos A)
- Kyokko (Sun) was launched on the 4th February 1978 on a M-3H launcher from Kagoshima
into a 640x3980km inclined at 65 degrees. The 126kg Japanese satellite took 1 second
exposure snapshots of the aurora which were transmitted via slow scan TV.
- UME-2
- A Japanese Ionospheric sounding satellite launched on 16th February 1978 0400UTC on a
Japanese N launcher flight 4, into a 975 x 1224km orbit, inclined at 69.37 degrees. The
cylindrical spacecraft weighs 140kg, and has dimensions 820mm and 3940mm diameter. It is
spin stabilised, and is equipped with a basic TT and C system (136 MHz, 148 MHz, and 400
MHz), and mission equipment such as Ionospheric Sounder, Radio Noise Receiver, Plasma
Measuring Equipment, and Ion Mass Spectrometer. The satellite is intended for regular
observation of global distribution of critical frequencies of the ionosphere by means of
radio waves. And the results of the observation are to be utilized for radio propagation,
and radio disturbance warning necessary for effective short-wave radio communications. The
spacecraft was reported to be still operational in 1981
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- Yuri (BS-1),
1978
- A Japanese experimental broadcasting satellite, launched on the 8th April 1978 on a
Delta launcher from Cape Canaveral into a 110 degree East geostationary orbit. The 355kg
satellite was used for over two years for direct to home TV broadcasting experiments,
employing 1m dish antennas on the ground.
- ISEE-C, 1978
- The 479kg spacecraft was launched on the 12th July 1978 in order to monitorthe
characteristics of the solar phenomena about 1 hour before ISEE-A and ISEE-B to determine
how the sun controls the space environment near the Earth.
- ANIK-B
(Telesat-B), 1978
- ANIK B (Telesat-B), a 474kg Canadian communications satellite, launched on a Delta
launcher on the 16th December 1978 from Cape Canaveral.
- ECS (Ayame),
1979
- Built by NASDA, the 130kg mini-satellite was launched 6 February 1979 on the N-I
launcher from Tanegashima launch center into a Geostationary orbit. It is cylindrically
shaped with 1.4m diameter. The spacecraft carried millimeter wave broadcasting
experiments. Launcher third stage failure.
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- Sage (AEM 2),
1979-13A.
- Launched on a SCOUT launcher from Wallops on the 18th February 1979 into a 549 x 661 km
orbit, inclined at 54.93 degrees. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment
(Applications Explorer Mission -2) mini-satellite has a hexagonal prism shape of 640mm
length, and weighs 127kg. The satellite carried a photometer measuring the astmospheric
vertical ozone, aerosol Nitrogen Dioxide and Raleigh Molecular profile during sun-rise and
set events around the globe.
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- Ariel 6.
- Ariel-6 was launched on the 2nd June 1979 into a 600x654km orbit inclined at 55 degrees,
on a SCOUT launcher from Wallops I into a 600x654km orbit inclined at 55 degrees. The
British 154kg satellite was built by Marconi to aid study of X-ray sources. Its low-energy
X-ray detectors were to indicate that Cygnus X2 contained a white dwarf, and observations
of ultra heavy cosmic particles showed a higher proportion of elements with charges
between 58 and 72 than experimenters expected. It was shut down in February 1982 after
running out of attitude control gas.
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- Bhaskara 1.
- An Indian remote sensing satellite launched on the 7th June 1979 from Kapustin Yar
in
the Soviet Union on an Intercosmos launcher into a 519x541km inclined at 50.6 degrees. The satellite weighed 442kg
and carried 2 TV cameras and microwave radiometers. The satellite was designed to operate
for 1 year, but the cameras failed soon after launch. Nevertheless various land and ocean
images were returned. The satellite was named after a 7th century Indian
astronomer, and reentered the atmosphere on the 17th Feb 1989. The
spacecraft cost is reported to have been RS65m
- MAGSAT (aka
AEM-3)
- A 183kg Applications Explorer Mission-3 Magnetic Field measuring Satellite. It was
launched on the 30th October 1979.
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