A-105 (spacecraft)

The mission A- 105 (also called Pegasus 3) was the third of three flights as part of the Apollo program, NASA, took an active research satellite into space. A two-stage Saturn I with a dummy of the Apollo spacecraft transported the satellite Pegasus 3 in a low Earth orbit (LEO ). The mission differed only slightly from A-103 and A- 104.

Objectives

The object of the Pegasus missions was to investigate the incidence of micrometeorites on the order of 1.E - 7 to 1.E -4 g in the near-Earth space. Demonstration of the iterative control mode offers the rocket and further testing of the control nozzles. Evaluation of the functions of Apollo and Saturn, as well as the Apollo rocket apparatus.

Construction

Active Launch Escape System ( LES): Functional rescue rocket with 4.70 m height. Escape tower, a 3.05 m high support structure for the rescue rocket.

Apollo dummy (BP -9), the lifelike model (English Boilerplate called ) weighed 4600 kg and consisted of the Command Module (CM ): a conical aluminum construction with a base diameter of 3.91 m and 3.56 m in height and the service module (SM): an aluminum construction served as a payload fairing of the satellite was mounted on the instrument unit of the second stage by means of an adapter section. As shown at A -104 prototype control nozzles ( RCS) are used.

The Pegasus satellite was firmly attached to the second stage, measure 5.28 x 2.13 x 2.41 meters and weighed 1805 kg. The central unit comprised the electronics, sensors, solar panels and the mechanics of deploying the two retractable detector surfaces. These were 29.3 meters long, 4.3 meters wide and registered the micro- meteorite impact.

Preparation

The steps were delivered 8 May to 1 June 1965 Kennedy Space Center and built on the Launch Complex 37B. There were no significant complications.

History of the flight

The launch took place on July 30, 1965 at 12:58:00 UTC. After the first stage was separated, and the second had ignited, and the LES was separated as planned by the engines of the rocket apparatus.

10 minutes and 42 seconds after the start waving the rocket into orbit. The unit, consisting of Apollo, Pegasus, adapter, instrument panel, fuel and a second stage, at that time had a mass of 15.6 tons. Just under three minutes later, the Apollo spacecraft from the second stage ( and on their mounted satellite ) isolated and placed on a separate trajectory, where it remained until November 22, 1975. Was Pegasus was controlled in a nearly circular orbit and unfolded one minute after the separation of its detector surfaces.

His life had been planned for about 720 days. The satellite instruments and the radio signals were switched off on August 29, 1968. On August 4, 1969, the satellite burned up in the atmosphere.

Impact on the Apollo program

One of the FM transmitter fell after three months, but there were no data is lost and all objectives have been achieved.

Thus, the test program of the Saturn I was successfully completed. The next missions should bring a functioning Apollo spacecraft into space with the more powerful Saturn IB.

Swell

  • NASA: Mission Overview ( English)
  • NASA: National Space Science Data Center (English)

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  • Apollo Mission
  • NASA
  • Space mission in 1965
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