Explorer 29
Explorer 29 satellite | |
| Names | GEOS-1 GEOS-A Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth science |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-089A |
| SATCAT no. | 01726 |
| Mission duration | 2 years (achieved) 59 years, 7 months and 11 days (in orbit) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XXIX |
| Manufacturer | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 387 kg (853 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 November 1965, 18:38:43 UTC |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta E (Thor 457 / Delta 034) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-17B |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 6 November 1965 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 15 January 1968 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 1,113 km (692 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,275 km (1,414 mi) |
| Inclination | 59.40° |
| Period | 120.30 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Laser Tracking Reflectors NASA Minitrack System Optical Beacon System Radio Doppler System Radio Range/Rate System SECOR Range Transponder | |
Explorer program | |
Explorer 29, also called GEOS 1 or GEOS A, acronym to Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite, was a NASA satellite launched as part of the Explorer program, being the first of the two satellites GEOS. Explorer 29 was launched on 6 November 1965 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a Thor-Delta E launch vehicle.
Explorer 29 was a gravity-gradient-stabilized, solar cell powered unit designed exclusively for geodetic studies. It was the first successful active spacecraft of the National Geodetic Satellite Program.