Explorer 36
| Names | GEOS-2 Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth science |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1968-002A |
| SATCAT no. | 03093 |
| Mission duration | 2 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XXXVI |
| Spacecraft type | Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite |
| Bus | GEOS |
| Manufacturer | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 469 kg (1,034 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 January 1968, 16:16:10 GMT |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta E1 (Thor 454 / Delta 056) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-2E |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 11 January 1968 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 1,082 km (672 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,570 km (980 mi) |
| Inclination | 105.80° |
| Period | 112.20 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| C-Band Radar Transponder Laser Tracking Reflector Magnetometer NASA Minitrack System Optical Beacon System Precipitating Electron Detector Radio Doppler System Radio Range/Rate System SECOR Range Transponder | |
Explorer program | |
Explorer 36 (also called GEOS 2 or GEOS B, acronym for Geodetic Earth Orbiting Satellite) was a NASA satellite launched as part of the Explorer program, being the second of the two satellites GEOS. Explorer 36 was launched on 11 January 1968 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, with Thor-Delta E1 launch vehicle.
Explorer 36 was a gravity-gradient stabilized, solar cell powered spacecraft that carried electronic and geodetic instrumentation. The spacecraft's thermal control system was notable for the first non-experimental use of a heat pipe in a spacecraft.