Solar Mesosphere Explorer
Encyclopedia
The Solar Mesosphere Explorer (also known as Explorer 64) was an United States
unmanned spacecraft
to investigate the processes that create and destroy ozone
in Earth's upper atmosphere. The mesosphere
is a layer of the atmosphere extending from the top of the stratosphere to an altitude of about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi). The spacecraft carried five instruments to measure ozone, water vapor and incoming solar radiation.
Launched on October 6, 1981, on a Delta rocket
from Vandenberg Air Force Base
, in California, the satellite returned data until April 4, 1989. The spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere on March 5, 1991.
Managed for NASA
by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
, the Solar Mesosphere Explorer was built by Ball Space Systems and operated by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics of the University of Colorado
where one hundred undergraduate and graduate students were involved.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
unmanned spacecraft
Unmanned spacecraft
Unmanned spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board, and probably includes unmanned resupply spacecraft, space probes, and most space observatories. A difference between robotic spacecraft and unmanned spacecraft, is that unmanned spacecraft is inclusive to non-robotic unmanned spacecraft,...
to investigate the processes that create and destroy ozone
Ozone
Ozone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
in Earth's upper atmosphere. The mesosphere
Mesosphere
The mesosphere is the layer of the Earth's atmosphere that is directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. In the mesosphere temperature decreases with increasing height. The upper boundary of the mesosphere is the mesopause, which can be the coldest naturally occurring...
is a layer of the atmosphere extending from the top of the stratosphere to an altitude of about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi). The spacecraft carried five instruments to measure ozone, water vapor and incoming solar radiation.
Launched on October 6, 1981, on a Delta rocket
Delta rocket
Delta is a versatile family of expendable launch systems that has provided space launch capability in the United States since 1960. There have been more than 300 Delta rockets launched, with a 95 percent success rate. Two Delta launch systems – Delta II and Delta IV – are in active use...
from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
, in California, the satellite returned data until April 4, 1989. The spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere on March 5, 1991.
Managed for 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...
by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
, the Solar Mesosphere Explorer was built by Ball Space Systems and operated by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics of the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
where one hundred undergraduate and graduate students were involved.
- Mass: 437 kilograms (963 pounds)
- Power: Solar panels which charged NiCad batteries
- Configuration: Cylinder 1.25 meter (4.1 ft) diameter by 1.7 meter (5.6 ft) high
- Science instruments: Ultraviolet ozone spectrometer, 1.27 micrometre spectrometer, nitrogen dioxideNitrogen dioxideNitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula it is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor and is a prominent...
spectrometer, four-channel infrared radiometer, solar ultraviolet monitor, solar proton alarm detector