STEX (Space Technology Experiments)
A National Reconnaissance Office satellite that, for the most part, successfully
tested over two dozen advanced technology subsystems. Among STEX's main
equipment were Hall Effect electric
thrusters derived from Russian technology, experimental solar arrays
and batteries, and the Advanced Tether Experiment (ATeX), which was a follow-on
to the earlier TiPS (Tether Physics and Survivability)
satellite. ATeX comprised two end-masses connected by a 6-km polyethelyne
tether. The upper end mass was deployed first, while the lower end mass
was supposed to remain attached to STEX. However, this experiment reportedly
failed on January 16, 1989, when, with only 21 m of tether deployed, the
tether was so far off vertical that automatic safety systems jettisoned
the base to protect the remainder of the STEX satellite.
| launch date |
Oct. 3, 1988 |
| launch vehicle |
Taurus |
| launch site |
Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| orbit |
744 × 759 km × 85.0° |
Related entry
• space tether
Related category
• SATELLITES
AND SPACE PROBES
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