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Ariel 1
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<h2 id="development">Development</h2> <p>In late 1959, the <a href="/facts/British_National_Committee_for_Space_Research/uxrWfb9e">British National Committee for Space Research</a> proposed the development of Ariel 1 to NASA.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> By early the following year the two countries had decided upon terms for the <a href="/facts/Ariel_programme/RoQTpqhB">Ariel programme</a>'s scope and which organisations would be responsible for which parts of the programme.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p><p>The UK Minister of Science named the satellite after <a href="/facts/Ariel_(Shakespeare_character)/2z1Lqy7A">the sprite in Shakespeare's <i>The Tempest</i></a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p><p>Three units were constructed: one for prototyping, a flight unit, and a backup.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="design">Design</h2> <h3>Operation</h3> <p>The satellite weighed 62 kilograms (136 lb), had a diameter of 58 centimetres (23 in), and a height of 56 centimetres (22 in). Solar panels generated power which was stored in nickel-cadmium batteries. A 100-minute tape recorder was used for data collection.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <h3>Sensors</h3> <p>SERC provided the experiments, conducted operations, and later analysed and interpreted the results. Six experiments were carried aboard the satellite. Five of these examined the relationship between two types of <a href="/facts/Solar_radiation/SI26I7aD">solar radiation</a> and changes in the Earth's <a href="/facts/Ionosphere/mT9tTBE5">ionosphere</a>. They were selected to leverage techniques developed in the <a href="/facts/Skylark_(rocket)/86UKNjAM">Skylark</a> programme.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="mission">Mission</h2> <h3>Launch</h3> <p>Ariel 1 was planned to launch on the <a href="/facts/Scout_(rocket)/y3J3BcVd">Scout rocket</a>, but the rocket fell behind in development. The decision was made to launch the satellite on the more expensive <a href="/facts/Thor-Delta/XyulmLAY">Thor-Delta</a> rocket, although the Americans footed the bill.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>Ariel 1, the first satellite from a nation besides the United States or the Soviet Union,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> was launched aboard an American Thor-Delta rocket from <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station_Launch_Complex_17/7Cl4P58d">Launch Complex 17A</a> at the <a href="/facts/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station/dwJ9MCPH">Cape Canaveral Air Force Station</a>, at 18:00:00 GMT on 26 April 1962.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> The successful orbit made Ariel 1 the first international satellite.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h3>Operations</h3> <p>Ariel 1 was among several satellites inadvertently damaged or destroyed by the <a href="/facts/Starfish_Prime/8cIMdeqQ">Starfish Prime</a> <a href="/facts/High-altitude_nuclear_explosion/UdNALFgT">high-altitude nuclear test</a> on July 9, 1962, and subsequent <a href="/facts/List_of_artificial_radiation_belts/gqhWxRBo">radiation belt</a>. Its solar panels sustained damage from the irradiation, affecting Ariel 1's operations.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> The satellite operated even after the nuclear test. The radiation disabled the timer that would have deactivated the satellite after one year, effectively extending the satellite's life.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> It <a href="/facts/Orbital_decay/c9rj3aK6">decayed</a> from orbit on 24 May 1976.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="results">Results</h2> <p>The experiments provided X-ray energy data from over 20 solar flares.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <ul> <li>Spaceflight portal</li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9rMfAAAAIAAJ"><i>Ariel I: the First International Satellite</i></a>. Washington, D.C.: NASA. 1963. SP-43.</li> <li>Dorling, E. (1993). "Ariel 1 and the Beginnings of British Space Science". <i>The Observatory</i>. 113: 250. <a href="/facts/Bibcode_(identifier)/9HtdQSGB">Bibcode</a>:<a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993Obs...113..250D">1993Obs...113..250D</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIgAAAAIAAJ"><i>Ariel I: the First International Satellite: Experimental Results</i></a>. Washington, D.C.: NASA. 1966. SP-119.</li> <li>Dorling, E. B.; Robins, M. O. (1964). "United Kingdom Activities". <i>Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences</i>. 281 (1387): 445–450. <a href="/facts/Bibcode_(identifier)/9HtdQSGB">Bibcode</a>:<a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1964RSPSA.281..445D">1964RSPSA.281..445D</a>. <a href="/facts/Doi_(identifier)/muM9Etpq">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frspa.1964.0195">10.1098/rspa.1964.0195</a>. <a href="/facts/ISSN_(identifier)/DPAflDvU">ISSN</a> <a href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0080-4630">0080-4630</a>. <a href="/facts/JSTOR_(identifier)/YTeVmaJ7">JSTOR</a> <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2414955">2414955</a>. <a href="/facts/S2CID_(identifier)/ldJsHa2Y">S2CID</a> <a href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:154796264">154796264</a>.</li> <li>Galvan, David A.; Hemenway, Brett; Welser, William; Baiocchi, Dave (2014). <i>Satellite Anomalies</i>. Benefits of a Centralized Anomaly Database and Methods for Securely Sharing Information Among Satellite Operators. RAND Corporation. pp. 7–28. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0-8330-8586-3. <a href="/facts/JSTOR_(identifier)/YTeVmaJ7">JSTOR</a> <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt14bs1m1.9">10.7249/j.ctt14bs1m1.9</a>.</li> <li>Harvey, Brian (2003). <i>Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond</i>. Springer Science & Business Media. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-1-85233-722-3.</li> <li>Rosenthal, Alfred (1968). <a href="https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4301.pdf"><i>Venture into Space – Early Years of Goddard Space Flight Center</i></a> (PDF). NASA Center History Series. Washington D.C.: NASA. SP-4301.</li> <li>Wells, Helen T.; Whiteley, Susan H.; Karegeannes, Carrie (1976). <a href="https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402.pdf"><i>Origins of NASA Names</i></a> (PDF). NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: NASA. SP-4402.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120425173105/http://www.space.co.uk/Features/UKSpaceExploration/ARIEL1/tabid/245/Default.aspx">"Ariel 1"</a>. Space.co.uk. Archived from <a href="http://www.space.co.uk/Features/UKSpaceExploration/ARIEL1/tabid/245/Default.aspx">the original</a> on 25 April 2012.</li> <li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150910-the-nuke-that-fried-satellites-with-terrifying-results">The Cold War nuke that fried satellites</a> (BBC)</li> <li><a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19640006786.pdf">The Ariel 1 Satellite</a></li> <li><a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19630006724.pdf">First International Satellite</a></li> <li><a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19650024622.pdf">Electronic Integration of the UK-1 International Ionsphere Satellite</a></li> <li><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644928/space-uk-issue-35.pdf">Special issue: 50 years of the UK in space</a></li> <li><a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsnr.2010.0039">The Royal Society's Formative Role in UK Space Research</a></li> <li><a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspa.1964.0194">The Ariel 1 Satellite</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>NASA SP-43 1963, p. 1. - Ariel I: the First International Satellite. Washington, D.C.: NASA. 1963. SP-43. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9rMfAAAAIAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=9rMfAAAAIAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Rosenthal 1968, pp. 106–107. - Rosenthal, Alfred (1968). Venture into Space – Early Years of Goddard Space Flight Center (PDF). NASA Center History Series. Washington D.C.: NASA. SP-4301. <a href="https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4301.pdf" target="_blank">https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4301.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Wells, Whiteley & Karegeannes 1976, pp. 35–36. - Wells, Helen T.; Whiteley, Susan H.; Karegeannes, Carrie (1976). Origins of NASA Names (PDF). NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: NASA. SP-4402. <a href="https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402.pdf" target="_blank">https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4402.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>NASA SP-119 1996, p. 3. - Ariel I: the First International Satellite: Experimental Results. Washington, D.C.: NASA. 1966. SP-119. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIgAAAAIAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIgAAAAIAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Rosenthal 1968, p. 105. - Rosenthal, Alfred (1968). Venture into Space – Early Years of Goddard Space Flight Center (PDF). NASA Center History Series. Washington D.C.: NASA. SP-4301. <a href="https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4301.pdf" target="_blank">https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4301.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>NASA SP-119 1996, p. 9. - Ariel I: the First International Satellite: Experimental Results. Washington, D.C.: NASA. 1966. SP-119. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIgAAAAIAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIgAAAAIAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Harvey 2003, p. 97. - Harvey, Brian (2003). Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-85233-722-3. <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Harvey 2003, p. 97. - Harvey, Brian (2003). Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-85233-722-3. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"Ariel 1 Launch/Orbital Information". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 24 March 2020. <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1962-015A" target="_blank">https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1962-015A</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Walker, Doreen M. C. "Analysis of the Orbit of Ariel 1, 1962 – ISA, Near 15th – Order Resonance" (PDF). Royal Aircraft Establishment. p. 107. A-002 347. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 March 2020. <a href="https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a002347.pdf" target="_blank">https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a002347.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Galvan et al. 2014, p. 19. - Galvan, David A.; Hemenway, Brett; Welser, William; Baiocchi, Dave (2014). Satellite Anomalies. Benefits of a Centralized Anomaly Database and Methods for Securely Sharing Information Among Satellite Operators. RAND Corporation. pp. 7–28. ISBN 978-0-8330-8586-3. JSTOR 10.7249/j.ctt14bs1m1.9. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt14bs1m1.9" target="_blank">https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt14bs1m1.9</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Harvey 2003, p. 97. - Harvey, Brian (2003). Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-85233-722-3. <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Table of Artificial Satellites Launched Between 1957 and 1976. International Telecommunication Union. 1977. p. 15. OCLC 4907282. Retrieved 21 March 2020. <a href="http://handle.itu.int/11.1004/020.1000/7.10.70.en.100" target="_blank">http://handle.itu.int/11.1004/020.1000/7.10.70.en.100</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"40 years ago: 1st international satellite" (PDF). Spaceport News. Vol. 41, no. 8. Kennedy Space Center. 19 April 2002. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/67185main_apr19.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/67185main_apr19.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>