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    Ariel (UK satellites)

    Ariel-4
    Ariel-4. Image credit: NASA
    A series of six British satellites launched by NASA. The first four were devoted to studying the ionosphere, the remaining two to X-ray astronomy and cosmic-ray studies. Ariel 1 was the first international satellite. It was named in February 1962 for the spirit of the air who was released by Prospero in Shakespeare's play The Tempest. The name "Ariel" – a traditional one in British aeronautics – was chosen by the UK Ministry of Science and endorsed by NASA.

    Ariel 1 (UK-1 before orbit) was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and instrumented with six British experiments to make integrated measurements in the ionosphere. Ariel 2, contained three UK-built experiments and was placed in orbit two years later. Ariel 3, designed and built in the United Kingdom, carried five experiments. The UK-built Ariel 4 carried four UK and one US experiment to investigate plasma, charged particles, and electromagnetic waves in the ionosphere.

    Ariel 5 was one of the earliest X-ray astronomy satellites and involved a British-American collaboration. The Science Research Council managed the project for the United Kingdom and the Goddard Space Flight Center for the United States. Several catalogs of X-rays sources stemmed from its observations which continued until the spring of 1980.


    spacecraft launch date launch vehicle launch site orbit mass (kg)
    Ariel 1 Apr. 26, 1962 Delta Cape Canaveral 398 × 1,203 km × 53.8° 60
    Ariel 2 Mar. 27, 1964 Scout X-3 Wallops Island 287 × 1,349 km × 51.7° 68
    Ariel 3 May 5, 1967 Scout A Vandenberg 499 × 604 km × 80.6° 90
    Ariel 4 Dec. 11, 1971 Scout B Vandenberg 476 × 592 km × 82.0° 100
    Ariel 5 Oct. 15, 1974 Scout B San Marco 504 × 549 km × 2.9° 129
    Ariel 6 Jun. 2, 1979 Scout D Wallops Island 372 × 383 km × 55.0° 154


    Related entry

       • X-ray satellites


    Related categories

       • SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES
       • BRITAIN IN SPACE





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