Status
Success
Explorer 61 (Magsat-A)
Launch Time
Tue Oct 30, 1979 14:16 UTC
Tue Oct 30, 1979 14:16 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
Explorer 61
The Magsat project was a joint NASA/United States Geological Survey (USGS) effort to measure near-earth magnetic fields on a global basis. It was the third of a series of Applications Explorer Missions (AEM).
Objectives included obtaining an accurate description of the earth's magnetic field, obtaining data for use in the update and refinement of world and regional magnetic charts, compilation of a global crustal magnetic anomaly map, and interpretation of that map in terms of geologic/geophysical models of the earth's crust.
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 158.0 kg
Polar Orbit
Location
SLC-5, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA
Stats
1979
98th orbital launch attempt
Scout
82nd mission
3rd mission of 1979
69th successful mission
31st consecutive successful mission