NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

WIKA & MIKA

Launch Time
Tue Mar 10, 1970 12:20 UTC

First flight of Diamant B, and first orbital flight from Kourou and the CSG. First orbital flight from South America.

Rocket

Diamant B
Image Credit: CNES
CNES
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 348 kN
Payload to LEO: 115 kg
Payload to GTO: 0 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 23.54 m
Fairing Diameter: 0.85 m
Fairing Height: 2.8 m

Mission Details

WIKA & MIKA

DIAL (contraction of "Diamant" and "Allemand" ("German" in French)), also called DIAL/WIKA (WIKA acronym for Wissenschaft Kapsel → scientific capsule), is the second artificial satellite made by Germany. This scientific satellite was developed within the framework of a cooperation agreement with the French space agency, CNES. The launcher also carried a MIKA technology capsule designed to measure the performance of the rocket during its flight. Despite a particularly short development time, WIKA, which had to operate for 26 days, transmitted valuable scientific data on the upper atmosphere for 2 months. The MIKA module suffered a failure from the very beginning of the launch due to the vibrations of the launcher.

- WIKA aims to study the variations in time and space of the electron density in the upper atmosphere and the intensity of the Lyman-alpha radiation in the Geocorona.
- The MIKA technology capsule is to measure the performance of the Diamant B launcher, which is making its first flight.

Payloads: 2
Total Mass: 103.0 kg
Low Earth Orbit

Location

ELD, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

1970

19th orbital launch attempt

Diamant

5th mission
1st mission of 1970
4th successful mission
2nd consecutive successful mission