Pioneer P-31 Press Kit

8/8/2019 Pioneer P-31 Press Kit

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NATIONAL

Hold for ReleaseUntil Launched

AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINGTON 25 , D.C.

December, 1960NASA Release N o . 60-312-1 -,

SPACECRAFTWithin a few days, NASA will attempt to place a 388-pound /'pdce-

/-craft into orbit arouhd the moon.

If such an orbit is achieved and instruments aboard the space-craft work properly, the launching will:

1. "Anchor'' the first lunar satellite, a highly-instrumentedspace station, within comnunication range of the earth.

2. Place a wide spectrum of radiation, micrometeorite impactIIand magnetic field detecting devices in a position to

great distances between the earth and moon and greatly extend man'sknowledge of the cislunar environment.

sweep" out

3. Determine whether the moon has a magnetic field, even avery weak one.

4. Test the capabilities in flight of a spacecraft which canbe controlled and maneuvered from the earth.

Accomplishment of these objectives would have a fourfoldsignificance.

First, data obtained would provide an extended survey of theactions and interactions c F energetic particles from the sun andmagnetic fields in space,

Secondly, the information obtained would be helpful in determiningthe nature and extent of radiation hazards in manned flight.

Thirdly, a successful fligh% would be a contribution to thedevelopment of maneuverable spacecraft.


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And fo:ura9identification of a lunar magnetic field wouldprovide clues to the origin and structure of the moon.

The spacecraft in this probe is @ 39-inch )tluminum-alloy1sphere. Its heart is a small hydrazinei'.%@3e with thrust chambers

jutting from each pole. Inside the sphere, on a shelf around itsequator," are most of the instruments used in the scientific1experiments.

With its four solar cell paddlewheels, the spacecraft, thoughconsiderably larger, looks much like the 142-pound Explorer VI(in earth orbit) and the 95-pound Pioneer V (solar orbit)

If all of the thousands of components maMng up the boosterand spacecraft perform as programmed, the instrument packageshould reach the moon in about 60 hours and be pulled into a lunarorbit

Achieving a lunar orbit will depend largely on the hydrazineengine which has never been tested in flight before.orbit is not achieved and the launch vehicle's velocity is

If a lunar

sufficiently high a% third stage burnout, the spacecraft may doone of four things:

1, Enter an earth-centered orbit.2 . Escape the earth-moon, system and become a deep

space probepin a solar o r b i t , similar to Pioneer V.3. Impact the moon.4 , Pass around the mcron and then enter an earth-centered orbit not containing the moon.

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One of the key f a c t o r s i n ach iev ing a lunar o r b i t i s des igningth e f l i g h t t r a j e c t o r y . The t r a j e c t o r y and t i m e f o r t h i s launch werechosen t o a l low the m a x i m u m payload weight t o be ca r r i ed w i t h t h esmallest p ro b ab le e r r o r i n t h e spacecraf t pos i t ion and ve loc i ty wheni t reaches th e v i c i n i t y of the moon. Launch ti me i s not determinednecessar i ly when the moon i s c l o s e s t t o the ear th .

The basic goal i s t h a t of p l ac i ng t h e s p a c e c r a f t i n an e a r t hs a t e l l i t e or b i t which in t e r s ec t s the moon's o r b i t bu t th e p r ec i sechoice of t r a j e c t o r y and launch time i s an extremely complex matter.

I n c o n t ra s t t o t h e small, n e a r l y c i r c u l a r o r b i t s of most ear ths a t e l l i t e s , t h i s o r b i t i s t o be a v er y lo ng , t h i n e l l i p s e e x te nd in gbeyond the moon. I n ad di ti on t o the factors a lready mentioned,other l imi ta t ions and requi rements had to be cons ide red i n p l ann ingth e t r a j e c t o r y :

1.

2.

3.

4 .

The v e l o c i t y a t t a i n a b l e a t the end of powered f l i g h t .Minimization of th e angle between th e plane of th es p a c e c r a f t ' s f r e e - f l i g h t t r a j e c t o r y and t h e mooraBso r b i t a l p la ne i n o rd er t o minimize guidance errorsand maximize payload weight.The permiss ik le azimuth d i r e c t i o n of t h e launching(south o f eas t )The f l i g h t pa th angle o r t h e an gl e between t h ed i r e c t i o n of t r a v e l of the spacecraf t and the endof powered f l i g h t and a l i n e p a r a l l e l t o th esur face of t he earth.


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By adjusting the azimuth direction of the flight path angle,the orbit may be made to intersect the moonls o r b i t . Then byadjus ing the time of the launching, the spacecraft be madeto,reach his intersection at nearly the same instant as the moon.

As the spacecraft nears the moon, an injection or retro firingof its propulsion system w i l l reduce velocity so that it may bedrawn into a lunar orbit. by the moon's gravity.

In addition to the limiting factors already mentioned, thereare also other restrictions which must be taken'into considerationin planning a trajectory. They include the boundaries of theAtlantic Missile Range, range safety requirements and thelimitations on coverage of tracung equipment. '

As a result of all of these restrictions, launching of theAtlas-Able spacecraft was possible on only about five days of thelunar month and then only for less than ~ ) ~ ~ . r . : a n l e a c h , ~ a ~ l l o w adate

This is the third attempt to haunch a lunar-orbiting space-craft with the Atlas-Able booster combination. The first efforton Thanksgiving Day, 1959, failed when the spacecraft nose fairingbroke away prematurely about 45 seconds after launch.

The second effort, on September 25, 1960, failed due to amalfunction in the second stage,

Thus, while the spacecraft has been carried into space forvery brief periods, it has not had 83 opportunity to perform.

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- 5 -Work on the Atlas-Able probe began in November, 1958, under

an agreement between NASA and the Air Force Ballistic MissileDivision ( ARDC ) . In turn, AFBMD subcontracted with SpaceTechnology Laboratories, Inc., of Los dngeles, with STL providingover-all system integration and spacecraft packaging.experiments were devised by university, NASA and STL scientists.In all, more than 50 subcontractors and suppliers have a part inthe program.

The

The upper stage (Able) rockets mounted on the Atlas aresimilar to those which have been launched successfully incombination with the Thor in a number of Thor-Able shots.were first used in the Vanguard rocket. In this launch, theAble combination consists of a liquid propellant second stage and asolid propellant third stage.

They

The spacecraft itself has two small thrust chambers. Thesechambers a r e linked by fuel lines to a main hydrazine propellanttank which is 26 inches in diameter.

The vernier thmst chamber at the base of the payload willbe used to step up velocity.chamber to the hydrazine tank mounted in the center of the payload.The f u B 1 lines contain wlves which let; through a desired amounto f propellant. Each fu e l line -- o r j more precisely, each valveunit -- can be used only m c e so a maximum of four velocityincrements can be made.

Four fuel lines run from the vernier


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I f the probe's forward speed i s s lowed su ff ic ie nt ly by applyingr e ve r se t h r u s t , l u n a r g r a v i t y w i l l l i t e r a l l y p u l l the package intoa moon o r b i t .

Each chamber can deliver 18 pounds of t h ru s t . The ce n t ra lt ank c a r r i e s a b o u t 1,700 seconds of f u e l ,

Plans c a l l f o r a t l e a s t one ve lo c it y increment command wi thi na few minutes a f t e r launch, a mfdeourse \cbhrec t ion f'L.rrSngl!about 1 2 hou

a f t e r &@dnDhcrrxnd B q % w m s e t h r u s t firing when t h e spacec ra f t nea r s %he mooSpontaneous ig n i t i on takes p lace i n th e payload t hmst chambers

when t h e hydrazine f lows across a c a t a l y s t bed of aluminum oxide nearth e th ro a t of th e rocket nozzles . TW O small tanks of n i t rogenmaintain pressure on the hydrazine and l i t e r a l l y f o r c e the f u e lthrough th e l i n e s when the valves are opened.

The valves consist of two di sks s e v e r a l i n c h e s a p a r t , Theywork l i k e t h i s : Disk A is c losed and D i s k B i s open. A c o m dr a d i o s i g n a l i s s e n t t o the s a t e l l i t e which opens Disk A , l e t t i n gfue l f low through th e l i n e ,Disk B, c u t t i n g o f f the f low. Designers believe chances ofva lve c i r c u i t r y f a i l u r e ar e minimfzed by pl ac ing only one cornmaradrequirement on each valva.

Then a s i g n a l i s se nt which clos es

Ve loc i t y con t rc l i s of prime fmprartance i n t h i s f l i g h t . Ifa lunar impact o r a near m.ss were the goal , v e l o c i t y c o n t r o lwould not be so v i t a l .

To p u t t h i s probe in p o s i t i o n f o r a l u n a r o r b i t , th e probemust have s u f f i c i e n t v e l o c i t y t o r e ac h the moon's v i c in i ty and

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- 7 -then i t must be slowed i n o rd er t o be drawn i n t o an o r b f t , Ifi t we re ngt slowed down, i t would f l y r i gh t pas t th e moon.

I n t h i s launch, th e payload must reach a m a x i m v e l o c i t y ofabout 23,200 miles an hour which i t should do before i t hast raveled more than several thousand miles from t h e e a r t h . Withthis v e l o c i t y i t would reach the v i c i n i t y of t he moon i n abou t60 hours. When i t reached a point about 4,400 miles from themoon, th e probe would be t r a v e l i n g a t roughly 4,700 rnEles pe rhour. To achieve an orbit, t h i s speed must be reduced t o about2,800 miles an hour.chamber takes over .

T h i s i s where t he pay load ' s r eve r se t h rus t

The requ i red speed reduction i l l u s t r a t e s th e importance ofholding down th e launch vel oci ty: Excessive launch ve lo ci ty makesthe j ob of t he r eve r se t h r u s t chamber a11 t h e more d i f f i c u l t .

I f the reverse chamber i s success fu l , th e des igne r s ca l cu l a t ethe moon's gravity should make the probe become a s a t e l l i t e of themoon. I t would have a period of between 9 and 10 hour s, an apolune( f a r t h e s t d i s t a n c e f r o m the moon) of about 2,700 s t a t u t e miles anda p e r il u n e ( c l o s e s t d i s ta n c e ) of about 1,500 miles .

The mission goal i s exceedingly diA'ficult . I t has beencomputed that a variaf-2on i n 'booster perforPmance of p lus o r minusone foo t pe r second causes an e r r o r i n th e vicini ty of the moonas great as 110 miles. Thus a s l i g h t er ~a or n boost er performancecould send the probe on qui te a d i f f e r e n t p a t h .


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- 8 -Guidance is at least as important to the success of th is

mission as is rocket power.For the first few hundred miles of the flight, guidance units

in the first and second stages of the Atlas-Able w i l l steer thevehicle.corrections. But additional commands can be radioed to theguidance packages in the stages to take care of more difficultturns and course corrections.

Programmed autopilots will take care of routine flight

Course changes are accomplished by gimballing the first andsecond stage thrust chambers which changes the direction of thethrust

Precise tracking information on the flight of the first twostages as well as the spacecraft will be furnished by lightweighttransponders. These, in effect, are two-way r a d i o s . They receivea signal from the ground and bounce it right back by re-broadcastingit, The change in the frequency or tone of the signal can becalibrated with high accuracy, This tells where the stage orspacecraft is and how fast it is going.through a computer on the ground which produces, in a matter ofseconds, the proper guidance commands,

That information is m

The spacecraft is instrumented to get basic measurements ofthe cislunar environment:a lunar magnetic field however weak it might be, the action ofgaseous llcloudsII f plasma floating through space, micrometeoriteactivity and solar flare effects.

Radiatiion readings, some indication of

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- 9 -Most of the ,nstruments inside spheroid ride on a plastfc

and metal shelf five inches wide ranging around the payload'sequator. A few experiments, however, are outside. One of the mostapparent features of the package is its temperature control system:50 four-bladed fans which dot the spheroid's highly polishedaluminum skin.patches of blue and white.

The fans or "butterflies" cover alternate pie-shaped.

The temperature control device designed by STL, is to maintainan average internal temperature of about 70 degrees F.

While the internal temperature may average 70 degrees, externaltemperatures at the tips of the payload paddles may vary as muchas 400 degrees -- or 200 degrees above and below Zero degree I?.

The temperature control system is based on the heat absorbingand reflecting qualities of light and dark surfaces.the aluminum fan units varies between six and eight inches and theyweigh only a few ounces.four white patches, each the size of the fan covering it. Oppositeeach circle inside the payload are wire coils that expand when heatedand contract when cooled. The action of the coils moves the fans,

The dark patches will absorb sunlight and heat the satellite.As the patch warms, the coil inside expands and rotates the blade.Then as the patch coo ls , the opposite action occurs.

Diameter of

In each circle there are four dark and

The probe's "paddlewheels" carry a total of 8,800 siliconcells -- 2,200 per paddle -- which convert heat energy into electricit

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- 10 -The paddles measure 24 by 24 inches and are suppor ted by a spr ing-mounted aluminum a r m .f e e t .

From t i p t o t i p , th e "paddle span" i s nine

During launch, the paddles are fo ld ed down i n a square aboutth e base of th e sphere under a 10-foo t p l a s t i c nose f a i r in g shroudingthe t h i r d stage and payload.

T h i s fair ing parts and f a l l s away before the second stage rocketi g n i t i o n . After second s tage burnout, the paddle spr in gs a r ereleased which force the paddle s upward and outward u n t i l t hey lo cki n p lace. Each paddle i s s l i g h t l y c a nt ed t o r e ce iv e a m a x i m u m ofl i g h t .

On each paddle t h e r e are 22 modules of s o l a r c e l l s . A modulec o n s i s t s o f 100 c e l l s and i s cap abl e of producing about 1.3 wattsof e l e c t r i c i t y u nd er d i r e c t su n l. ig h t, Each c e l l i s shie lded by af i l t e r which l e t s i n p ro pe r l i g h t and r e f l e c t s ha rm fu l u l t r a v i o l e trays. The c e l l s a r e l i n e d up i n ser ies and feed in t o a packageof nickel cadmium ba t t e r i e s which power a l l of the probe's manye l e c t r o n i c f u nc t io n s .

Also v i s i b l e e x t e r n a l l y are t W 0 antennae on e i ther side ofth e v e r n i e r and i n j e c t i o n t h r u s t nozz les and a micrometeor i ted e t e c t o r .

The micrometeor i te device i s t o measure the number andmomentum (mass times v e l o c i t y ) of meteor ic dust particles strikingthe probe. The e n t i r e u n i t weighs less than a pound. I t c o n s i s t sof a diaphragm and a microphone. The no is e of the impact i s t r a n s -l a t e d i n t o an e l e c t r i c a l impulse which i s relayed t o e a r t h .

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Inside the spacecraft, instrumentation includes:High-Energy Radiation Counter

Developed by the University of Chicago, a five-pound radiationcounter is to measure high-energy or "hard" radiation,of radiation is defined as that composed of electrons possessingenergies greater than 92 MeV (inillions of electron volts) or protonswith energies in excess of 70 MeV.

This type

The package consists of six argon gas-filled cylinders rangedaround a seventh cylinder, The total bundle, including a thin leadshielding, measures about two inches square. Inbound particleswill ionize the gas in the ti~y ylinders to create an electricalblip as they penetrate one or mare: cylinders -- depending on theirband of hitherto undetected high-energy radiation on near the inneredge of the earth's Great R a d i a t l c ~ iBelt,

Total R.adia%;ianFluxAn ionization chamber and. a Geiger-Mueller tube w i l l be used

to measure the total radiation flux encountered. They are par"r;.-cularly sensitive to medim enwgy radiation.were supplied by the University of Kim eso ta .

These instruments

The gas-filled ion chambew. 1 s $0 provide particle energyinformation and the Geiger-Nueller %&e is to count the numberof medium energy electrons and protons passing through. Togetherthe instruments weigh about two p o m d s and ride in a four-inchsquare box.

Eow Energy Radiation CounterA two-pound scintillation ceun_terS eveloped by STL, is to

monitor the low-energy range of' th.e radiation spectmun. Here the


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- 12 -radiation is to pass through a crystal detector and create a smallburst of light. The intensity of the light w i l l be transformed intoa signal. The package measures eight by two-and-a-half inches.

MagnetometersA two-and-a-half pound flux-gate magnetometer, developed by STL,

is one of two magnetometers in the spacecraft. The other, called aspin-search coil magnetometer and also developed by STL, Weighs abouttwo pounds. Operating independently, the magnetometers are designedto provide various bits of information in an effort to try todetermine the distribution, strength and direction of magneticfields in space. In Pioneer V, the search coil magnetometerdetected a measurable Earth magnetic field out to about 65,000 miles.

Magnetic field information ties in closely with radiation studieBut the prime mission here is to try to find out more about thesource, makeup and effects of magnetic fields which affect so muchof our everyday life on earth: Radio transmission disturbances,snowy" television pictures, compass vacillations and the like.t

Sun ScannerA four-ounce photoelectric cell called a sun scanner is t o

trigger a specific electrical impulse when it "looks" directly atthe sun.information from the magnetometers.

These "fixes" on the sun should make more meaningfulThe c e l l was developed by STL.

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Plasma Probe ExperimentThis experiment, developed at NASA's Ames Research Center,

was designed to provide direct information on the energy andmomentum distribution or; streams of protons with energies ofabove a few kilovolts per particle in the vicinity of the moon.Two of the most important processes responsible for proton fluxare believed to be:

1. A low energy proton wind directed radially away fromthe sun with the proton stream strongly perturbed inthe vicinity of the Earth by electrostatic forces andhydromagnetic turbulence

2. Unusually strong solar flares.It is expected that streams of protons generated by solar

flares may be strongly distorted by the strong solar flares,The plasma probe is a radiation sensor which weighs about

a pound and a halfThis experiment consists of an electrostatic analyzer and

an electrometer, which, by means of a slit; collect protons anddevelop a voltage across a high fmpedence. The higher the voltagedeveloped, the greater the energy of the stream of protons.

Scintillation SpectrometerThe primary objective of this Goddard-STL experiment is to

measure the energy spectrum of protons in interplanetary spaceand to obtain information on possible trapped radiation about themoon. In addition, the experiment is designed to obtain a

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- 14 -composite energy spectrum of electrons and protons in the trappedradiation belts around the Earth as the spacecraft passes throughthem, The unit consists of two packages and weighs three and ahalf pounds. This is the way it operates:package faces radially out from the satellite through a two-inchwindow. When the crystal sees protons, it responds by triggerhkgan electronic signal, the intensity of which is ruled by theenergy of the protons.

A crystal in the sensor

Solid State lDed3taaborThe so l id state detector supplied by the University of Chicago

is designed to measure the flux of protons f r o m energies of 0.5 t o9 Mev. It fs a gold-doped silicon detector which looks out throughan opening in the side of the spacecraft. The instrument weighsabout one pound. It is insensitive to electrons and most Brems?pXb'kv-.X-rays and therefore provides a means of obtaining a unique idenf.ff9.cation of particles, In addition, the unit is sensitive to a sw-ge r : Cenergies which has not previously been studied by any instrumentcapable of discriminating between protons and electrons.

Other InstrumentsIn addition to the prime scientific experiments listed, the

spacecraft contains a number of amplifiers, ftlogic" nits whichtransform various i ns tw en t sensing actiom into transmittablesignals and a command compartment capable of initiating some 20spacecraft functlpns, includ2ng engine start-stop commands, Thespacecraft alone houses more than 2,500 transistors, 3,500 diodesand contains more than two miles of wiring.

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- 15 -The over-all package weight breaks down into three major

headings:experiments, electronics and power supply - 126.

Stmcture and shell - 48 pounds; propulsion system - 214;Commands will be transmitted to the payload in a complex multi-

digit code.route the inbound signal to a command box which w i l l unscramblethe signal and close circuits to execute the desired command,

A command radio receiver -- on at all times -- w i l l

The probe carries two 1.5 watt ultra-high frequency (UHF)transmitters for data transmission. Both are hooked to allinstrumentation but only one operates at a time. The transmitterswill send on 378 MCe

One o r the other of the transmitters will be operating at allThey can be commanded on and off independently from Earth,imes.

Should the transmitters be turned off, findings will be storedin small electronic accumulators os memory units. These work muchlike the total mileage register of a speedometer in that theyrecord a given experiment's total action.turned on, the totals are transmitted first, then the transmittersstart sending experiment functions as they occur.

When a transmitter is

Data from experiments will be transmitted in digital form --short blips which can be processed in a matter of weeks whereasanalog processing may take months.


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- 16 -TracMng

A number of United States tracking outposts around the wo r l dw i l l take part in tracking this satellite but principal commandand data reception points are:

Jodrell Bank, a 250-foot parabolic tracking dish plus helicalantennae at Manchester, England, operated by the University ofManchester.reception capability.

This station has both payload command and telemetry

Millstone Hill, Massachusetts, an 85-foot parabolic dish,built and operated by the Lincoln Laboratories of the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. This station will be used for telemetryreception and inLtial launch radar I1 skin-trackfng, 1

South Point, Hawaii, a 60-foot parabolic dish and helicalantenna, operated by STL. This station will bet'iused to.. command

re $bit *&&%I,&&tzi,gn& fcm t eme ry recep i on.Singapore, Malaya, small antenna arrays, operated by STL. Itwill be used for telemetry reception.Goldstone Tracking Station, operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion

Laboratory and located in the Mojave Desert, California, trackswith an 85-foot parabolic antenna and obtains doppler and positiondata during the free-flight phase of the trajectory.

Atlantic Missile Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida, a variety ofantennae which w i l l be used to send steering commands to thesecond stage during launch and to the payload f o r about 29 minutesafter launch. This station, operated by STL, also will be used fordata reception.

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- 17 -All of these syations will be linked on a teletype c i r c u i t ,

the ~ontrol, o b t of which is STLb Space Navigation Center i n


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASWINOTON 2% O . C .

NO. 60-312-2 December, 1960

LAUNCH VEHICLEThe launch vehicle is a three-stage Atlas-Able booster. It is

about 98 feet tall (over 100 feet with spacecraft in place) and hasa liftoff weight of over 260,000 b s .and their functions is as follows:

A breakdown of the stages

First Stage:Air Force Atlas I'D" intercontinental ballistic missile

modiffed to receive additional stages.Weight - Over 255,000 lbs.Thrust - Approximtely 360,000 lbs.The Atlas has three gimballed engines. The outer two are

jettisoned about two and a haif minutes following launch, whilethe sustainer engine provides propulsion for an additional twominutes. The Atlas then separates from the remaining stages andfalls back into the earth's atmosphere,

About three minutes after liftoff, a fiberglass nose fairingwhich covers the third stage and payload during flight through theearth's atmosphere is parted lengthwise through the use of explosivebolts. The halves fall away.


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Second Stage:The liquid propellant second stage is similar t o those used

in the vehicle combinations that placed Explorer VI in an earthorbit and Pioneer V in solar orbit.earlier Able rocket vehicles and modified to fit atop the Atlasfirst stage.

This stage was adopted from

Weight -Thrust - Approximately 7,500 lbs.The second stage supplies powered flight for almost two minutes.

At second stage burnout, ten small spin rockets, five positioned onopposite sides of the second stage, are fired rotating the second,third and payload stages at about 170 revolutions per minute. Thespin stabilizes the trajectory of the third stage and spacecraft.After the spin rockets fire, second-third stage separation occurs.

A few seconds after burn~ut, he second stage drops.Third Stage:

The third stage solid propellant rocket was adapted from earlierAble and Vanguard rocket configurations. It burns about 40 seconds.

Weight - Qver 500 lbs.Thrust - Approximately 3, 00 lbs.Third stage separation occurs l f s seconds after engine burnout.Physical separation of the third stage and payload is accomplished

by a compressed spring located between the stages.payload should be about 600 miles above the earth and moving at a speedof about 23,OOO miles per hour.

At this point, the

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINGTON 25 , 0. C.

Hold f o r ReleaseUntil LaunchedRelease No. KO-312 - 3

December, 1960

PARTICIPANTSThis probe is being conducted by the National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, with technical project assistance by the AirForce Ballistic Missile Division ( A R E ) . Under subcontract, SpaceTechnology Laboratories, Inc,, Los Angeles, has provided over-allsystem integration and spacecraft packaging, subject to the require-ments o f NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md,

Hundreds of scientists, engineers and technicans took part inplanning and carrying out the project,, The key personnel were:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- Le T, Hogarth,NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, project manager, and

Benjamin Milwitzky, NASA Headquarters project chief.United States Air Force Ballistic Missile Division -- Maj.

James S. Smith, Chief o f the Space Probes Division; Maj. Edward J.D'Arcy, Able-fSB Project Officer f o r Space Probes Division, and Maj.William C. Kester, Assistant Project Officer.

Space Technology Laboratories, Inc. -- Dr. Adolf' K. Thiel,Director, Experimental Space Projects Office; Dr, George E. Mueller,Vice President and Associate Director of' the Research and DevelopmentDivision, and Dr. George Gleghorn, Able Five Project Director.

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In addition, more than 50 scientific and industrial organizationsand universities took part in the development of the project, Theyinclude;

The Unlvereity of Chicago, Chicago, Ill,; the University ofMlnneaots, Minneapolis, Minn,; Engineered Magnetics, Hawthorne, Cal i f , ;Ollflllsn BPO~., U s ngeles, Calif.; Hallamore Electronics CO,,Anaheim, Calif, Motorola, Inc. hoenix, Ariz. ; Radiation, Inc,Melbourne, Fla,; Rantec, Inc., Calabasa, Calif,; Space ElectronicsCorp,, blendale, Calif,; Ace Welding and Engineering, El Segundo,Calif',; Aircraft Plating Company, Hawthorne, Calif. Applied Research,I n c , , Pt, Waahlngton, L.I., New York; Alloy Spot Welders, b s Angeles,Calif,; Ampex Corp,, Redwood City, Calif,; Anadite, Inc., South Gate,Cs lW, ; Beach Manufacturing, Compton, calif,^ Burton Silverplating,Culver City, Calif.; Conax Corporation, Buffalo, New York; Coast MetalCraft, Culver City, Calif,; Computer Controls, Los Angeles, Calif,;Crystalline Blectronics, U s ngeles, Calif.; Donner Scientific Company,Concord, Calif,; Dressen-Barnes Corp,, Pasadena, Calif ; Electro Sol idsCoppapation, Panoraara City, Calif,; mprie Products Sales Co., Inc. ,Amsterdam, New York; John Fluke Manufacturing Company, Pasadena, Calif',;Genesys Corporation, U s ngeles, Calif,; Gulton Industries, Inc,,Hawthorne, Calif,; Hollywood Manufacturing & Supply Corp,, U s Angeles,Callf',; Hughes Aircraft, Culver City, Calif,; Invar ElectronicsCorporation, Pasadena, Calif ; Lambda Electronics Corporation, CollegePoint, New Yorkj Lee Electric & Manufacturing Company, U s ngeles,Callf.3 Lawrence Industries, Inc., Burbank, Calif.; Uckheed Electronics,b s ngeles, Calif,; Mo Company, Qqnwood, Calif,; McCoy Electronics,Le8 Angeles, Callf,~ icro-Gee Products, Culver City, Calif,,Aerosmlth Tool & Dye Corp., Los Angeles, Calif . ,


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Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn.; Mirra-Cote Company, El Segundo, Calif.; Modern Plating, Los Angeles, Calif.;Non-Linear Systems, Inc., South Pasadena, Calif'.; Ordnance Research& Development Company, North Hollywood, Calif.; Panoramic Radio Products,Inc., Mt. Vernon, New York; Petty Aircraft Company, Inglewood, Calif.;Pre-Mec Engineering Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif.; QuadrantEngineering Corporation, Gardena, Calif.; Quality Aluminum Heat TreatCompany, El Segundo, Calif.; R&W Stamp Works, Inglewood, Calif.;Raymond Engineering Lab., Inc., Middletown, Conn.; Robertshaw-'WltonControls Company, Anaheim, Calif.; Rutherford Electronics Company,Beverly Hills, Calif.; Sanborn Corporation, North Hollywood, Calif.;Southern California Metal Spinning Co., Inglewood, Calif.; SpecialDevices, Inc., Pacoima, Calif.; Spectrolab Instruments Company, NorthHollywood, Calif.; Tektronics, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.; TempoInstruments, Inc,, Hicksville, New York; United Electrodynamics, he.,Pasadena, Calif.; Varian Associates, Palo Alto, Calif.; Voi-ShanElectronics, North Hollywood, Calif.; Wm. Brand Division, The RexCorporation, Encino, Calif.; World Ylastics, Hawthorne, Calif,;Yardney Electric Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif.; Airborne Controls,Inc., Sun Valley, Calif.; BMW Manufacturing Co., Inc., Torrance,Calif,; Electro Winders Company, Covina, Calif,; Ransom Research, Inc.,San Pedro, Calif.; Scientific Engineering Co., Berkeley, Calif.;Sonotone Corporation, Elmsford, New York, and Ordnance Associates,Inc., South Pasadena, California.

. -. - , , . .. ---.. - .- . . .. . .- . . __ "._ . .I ..... " _


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- 4 -.A breakdown of major contractor responsibility is as follows:First Stage (Air Force Atlas ICBM)1, Propulsion systems -- Rocketdyne Division of N o r t h ( IAmerican Aviation, Inc,2, Airframe, control, electrical, and instrumentation systems --Convair Astronautics Division of General Dynamics Corporation,3 . Assembly, integration, checkout, and launch 0- ConvairAstronautics,4. Guidance -- General ElectricSecond Stage1. Propulsion system and tanks -- Aerojet-General.2. Control, electrical, instrumentation, engine shutoff, and

spin rocket systems -- Space Technology Laboratories, Inc.3 . Assembly, integration, and checkout -- Space TechnologyLaboratories, Inc.4. Guidance -- Space Technology Laboratories, Inc.Third Stage1. Rocket motor - - Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, a divisionof Hercules Powder Co.2, Structure and electrical -- STL.3. Assembly, integration, and checkout -- STL.Spacecraft -- STL(Includes electronics, transmitters, receivers and apropulsion system.)Experiments -- University of Chicago, the University ofMinnesota, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA ArnesResearch Center and STL,AFMTC Launch Operations1, Launch crew -- Aerojet-GeneralConvair AstronauticsRocketdyneSpace Technology Laboratories

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMtN1STRATIONWASWINOTON 25, 0 . C.

NO. 60-312-4December, 1960

MOON DATA FACT SHEETAPPARENT MOTION -- The m o m travels eastward at a rate of approx-

imately 130 in 24 h9urs; completing one trip around the earth every27-1/3 days.

PHASES O F THE MOON -- During the new moon, the moon is betweenthe earth and the sun and is entirely invisible.the first quarter, half of the illuminated hemisphere is visible, justas it is a week after the full moon, Between the new moon and thehalf moon, whether waxing or waning, we see less than half of the

One week later, at

illuminated portion, This is called the crescent phase, Between thehalf moon and the full, we see more than half of the illuminated side,and we have what is called the gibbous phase.

MOON'S O R B I T AROUND THE EARTH -- The moon moves in an ellipticalorbit with a m a x i m u m distance from the earth of 252,710 miles and aminimum distance of 221,463. This gives a mean distance of 238,857miles o r 60.267 times the earth's equatorial radius.an average speed of 2,287 M.P.H. or 0.6 miles per second.

I t travels at

S I Z E OF Tm MOON -- The moon's diameter is 2,160 miles, orslightly more than or,e fourth the size of earth,


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GRAVITY OF THE MOON -- The moon's force of gravity is one sixththat of the earth. An object weighing six pounds on earth would weighone pound on the moon. If a man w x e able to throw a baseball 400feet on earth, on the moon he could throw it nearly half a mile.

ROTATION OF TIIE MOON -- The moon rotates on its axis once a month,generally keeping the same side towards the earth. However, due toslight oscillations (called librations) we are able to see 41% of itssurface of the time, and a total of 59% at various times, whileanother 41s is never visible.and invisible.

The remaining 18% is alternately visible

TEMPERATURE OF THE MOON -- The moon reflects 7 percent of incidentsunlight, the remainder being absorbed by surface rocks. The temperatuof the lunar rocks at noon I s approximately 134OC or 273OF.lunar night, which lasts 14 days, the temperature falls rapidly to-153OC or -243OF.inches to a foot, beneath the surface the temperature is maintainedat a rather uniform value of approximately -4OOC or -400F.

During the

Radio daka show that a slight distance, a few

MOON'S ATMOSPHERE -- Because the moon is a small body with arelatively weak gravitational attraction at the surface, it cannothold an atmosphere as well as the earth. Measurements indicate thatthe density of the lunar atmosphere is 1013 times less densethe atmosphere of the earth at the surface. For all practicalpurposes, the moon has no atmosphere.

than


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MOON'S SURFACE -- According to general conceptions, the surfaceof the moon is a very rough terrain marked by steep crater walls andmountain ranges. Actually, the surface of the moon is surprisinglysmooth.exceed loo,photographs are usually taken near the terminator, i.e., the linedividing the light from the dark parts of the moon, where shadowsare exaggerated and where details of the surface structure arebrought out in the clearest possible manner. Crater sizes rangefrom more than 100 miles in diameter down to one-half mile or less,A crater with a diameter of one-half mile is the smallest which canbe seen from earth with any telescope. However, the moon may bepitted with craters of still smaller size. The typical crater iscircular and is surrounded by ramparts rising anywhere from 1000to 20,000 feet. There is s t r o q evidence that these craters havebeen produced by the impact of meteorites of various sizes withthe moon during its earlier history. Few if any of the craters onthe moon are volcanic in origin.

There are very few places on its surface where the slopesThe surface appears rough because the best lunar

In particular the famous craters of the moon contribute to theimpression of a rough and scarred surface. However, most of thesecraters are actually very shallow dishes. A typical lunar crater is20 miles across and only one mile deep.lunar photographs make the craters appear deeper than they really are.

Again, the long shadows in


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- 4 -LUNAR NOMENCLATUFE -- The great plains of the moon were called

seas (Maria) by CaLileo, f o r he supposed them to be covered withwater.on earth, although two or three bear the names of early astronomers.Conspicuous craters bear the names of eminent ancient and medievalastronomers and philosophers; while hundreds of the smaller cratersare named for more modern astronomers,EXTRACTED FROM: "Astronomy" by Russel, Dugan & Stewart. Ginn &Company, 1945,

Most of the mountain ranges are named after mountain ranges

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Pioneer P-31 Press Kit