SP-4012 NASA HISTORICAL DATA BOOK: VOLUME III
PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS 1969-1978

 

Table 3-89. Azur Characteristics

 

Also called:

German Research Satellite (GRS-A)

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

between NASA and Bundesministerium fur wissenschaftliche Forschung, Federal Republic of Germany, July 17, 1965

Date of launch (range):

Nov. 7, 1969 (WTR)

Launch vehicle:

Scout

Shape:

cylindrical with a conical top

Weight (kg):

72

Dimensions (m):

0.76, diam.

1.13, length (1.95 with extendable boom)

Power source:

solar cells plus AgCd battery

Prime contractor:

Gesellschaft fur Weltraumforschung mbH

Date of reentry:

Still in orbit 1984

NASA's role:

launch vehicle, technical support, and tracking and data acquisition

Responsible NASA center:

GSFC

Project manager:

Allen L. Franta

Project scientist:

George F. Pieper

Objectives:

To obtain data on the inner Van Allen belt, the auroral zones of the northern hemisphere, and the spectral variations of solar particles versus time during solar flares.

Experiments (responsible country or organization):

.

 

magnetometer (institute fur Geophysik and Meteorologie der Technischen Hochshule)

proton telescope (Max-Planck-Institut and Institut fur reine und andewandte Kernphysik der Universitat Kiel)

proton-electron detector (MPI)

electron counter (MPI)

charged particle counter (MPI)

photometer (Institut fur Physik der Atmosphare)

Results:

Successful results obtained even though the spacecraft tape recorder failed in Dec. 1969; only real-time data were obtained.

Reference: MOR S-874-69-01, Nov. 9, 1969.


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