LONG RANGE COMMUNICATION BY ORBITING DIPOLE BELTS,
Abstract
This paper is a brief report of the result obtained from the launching of 20 kg of 8000 Mc/s dipoles, in May of 1963 into a 3000 km altitude polar orbit. The dipoles were released from a spinning dispenser which employed the sublimation of a naphtalene binder to release the dipoles. Preliminary radar measurements indicate that the belt formation, thickness, and orbital perturbations were close to those predicted theoretically. The belt lifetime is expected to be less than five years as the result of solar radiation pressure effects. Bistatic propagation and communication experiments were carried out between the west and east coast of the U. S. The results of these experiments were close to theoretical predictions. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0614214
Entities
People
- Walter E. Morrow Jr.
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology