AEROS satellite

Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

s were to study the aeronomy

Aeronomy

Aeronomy is the science of the upper region of the atmosphere, where dissociation and ionization are important. The term aeronomy was introduced by Sydney Chapman, and the above definition stems from 1960. Today the term also includes the science of the corresponding regions of the atmospheres of...

 i. e. the science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

 of the upper atmosphere

Atmosphere

An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...

 and ionosphere

Ionosphere

The ionosphere is a part of the upper atmosphere, comprising portions of the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere...

, in particular the F region

F region

The F region of the ionosphere is home to the F layer of ionization, also called the Appleton layer, after the English physicist Edward Appleton. As with other ionospheric sectors, 'layer' implies a concentration of plasma, while 'region' is the area that contains the said layer...

 under the strong influence of solar

Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...

 extreme ultraviolet

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...

 radiation

Radiation

In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...

. To this end the spectrum

Spectrum

A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...

 of this radiation was recorded aboard by one instrument (of type Hinteregger) on the one hand and a set of 4 other instruments measuring the most important neutral uand iononized parameters at the satellite's position on the other.

Aeros was built by Ball Aerospace

Ball Aerospace

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. is a manufacturer of spacecraft, components, and instruments for national defense, civil space and commercial space applications. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corp...

 for a co-operative project between NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

 and the Bundesministerium für Foschung und Technologie, Federal Republic of Germany

West Germany

West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

.

AEROS A and B carried identical instrumentation only the instrument measuring short scale varaiations of the electron density didn't work on A. A third Aeros C was planned for Earth Resources

Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science

The Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science is a United States Geological Survey data management, systems development, and research field center. It serves as the national archive of remotely sensed images of the Earth's land surface acquired by civilian satellites and aircraft...

 studies in a 3-axis spin-stabilized configuration, to be launched by a Shuttle

Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

 in 1986.^{(Needs research)}

Specifications

Source: Yenne

• Launch vehicles: Scout
  Scout (rocket)
  The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages....
  
  
• Launch location: Western Space and Missile Center at Vandenberg AFB
• Launch dates: 16 December 1972 (AEROS), 16 July 1974 (AEROS B)
• Re-entry dates: 22 August 1973 (AEROS), 2 September 1975 (AEROS B)
• Total weight: 280 pounds and 436 pounds for AEROS C
• Diameter: 36 inches
• Height: 28 inches
• Shape: Cylindrical
• Power: Solar cells/nickel-cadmium batteries
  Nickel-cadmium battery
  The nickel–cadmium battery ' is a type of rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes....
  
  
• Power requirements: 4.7-34.3 watts

External links

• Goddard Space Flight Center
• AEROS B Satellite