Alouette 2 was a Canadian research satellite launched at 04:48 UTC on November 29, 1965, by a Thor Agena rocket with Explorer 31 from the Western test range at Vandenberg AFBinCalifornia. It was (like its predecessor Alouette 1, and Explorer 31) designed to explore the ionosphere.
Launch of the Thor SLV-2 Agena B rocket with Alouette 2 satellite.
| |
| Mission type | Ionospheric research |
|---|---|
| Operator | DRDC |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-098A  |
| SATCAT no. | 1804 |
| Mission duration | Final: 9 years and 8 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Victor |
| Launch mass | 146.5 kilograms (323 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 November 1965, 04:48 (1965-11-29UTC04:48Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Thor SLV-2 Agena-B |
| Launch site | Vandenberg LC-75-1-1 |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 1 August 1975 (1975-09) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Medium Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 508 kilometres (316 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,652 kilometres (1,648 mi) |
| Inclination | 79.8 degrees |
| Period | 117.61 minutes |
| Epoch | 5 December 2013, 13:24:44 UTC[1] |
The name "Alouette" came from the French for "skylark" and from the title of a popular French-Canadian folk song. Alouette 2 was also known as ISIS-X since it was the first in a series of ISIS satellites: International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies. The next one was called ISIS-I.
The Alouette 2 was built up from the identical backup satellite to Alouette 1. It had many more experiments and more sophisticated support systems than the earlier satellite. It lasted for 10 years, being terminated on August 1, 1975.[2]
RCA VictorofMontreal, Quebec, was the prime contractor; Havilland Aircraft of Toronto, Ontario, served as associate contractor.[3]
After the Alouette 2 was launched, the upper stage of the rocket used to launch the satellite became a derelict object that would continue to orbit Earth for many years. As of 2022[update], the upper stage remains in orbit.[4]
The satellite itself became a derelict after August 1975. It too remains in earth orbit As of 2022[update]. [5]
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