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Surcal 1
Surcal (surveillance Calibration) satellites to calibrate the Naval Space Surveillance (NavSpaSur) system. They were produced in cooperation with the NRL group who had designed and developed the NavSpaSur system.
NAVSPASUR was the successor to NRL's innovative Vanguard tracking system, the Minitrack. Launched between 1962 and 1965, the SURCALs were built in different shapes and sizes. Surcal-1 was a payload, which remained intentionally fixed to the Able-Star upper stage of the launch vehicle. The follow-on Surcal satellites were designed as free-flyers.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Calibration |
| Operator: | |
| Contractors: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | Instruments attached to Able-Star stage |
| Propulsion: | ? |
| Power: | Batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surcal 1 | 1962-F02 | 24.01.1962 | CC LC-17B | F | Thor-DM21 Able-Star | with Injun 2, SECOR (1), LOFTI 2, Grab (3a) (Solrad 4A) |
Launch Sites:
- CC = Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
References:
- NRL: The Origin of NCST
Further Surcal missions:
