CAT-2, Amsat P3A & Firewheel

The CAT (Capsule Ariane Technologique) payloads were instrumented vehicle evaluation payloads on the first four Ariane-1 flights. CAT consisted of a cylindrical section, which carried the instruments for vibration, acceleration, sound, and launch environment. They were battery-powered with a lifetime of about 6 days. The CAT payloads could be topped by ballast or adaptor section. CAT 1 carried a truncated cone ballast. CAT 2 was similar, but carried also the Firewheel satellite on top of the ballast section and the AMSAT P3A satellite side mounted.

AMSAT P3A (Phase 3A) was the first satellite of AMSAT Phase 3. It was developed in the 70s by AMSAT-DL and AMSAT-NA. It carried a communication payload consisting of 50 Watt Mode-B (435 MHz → 146 MHz) linear transponders. The satellite was inserted in a highly eccentric 12-hour Molniya-orbit by its onboard Star-13C kick motor.

The Firewheel spacecraft was designed to make barium and lithium-ion releases in the night magnetosphere at 9.5 and 7 Re, respectively, and over North and South America. The main spacecraft was to carry 12 ejectable ion release containers. Diagnostic measurements were to be made on the main spacecraft and on four ejectable sub-payloads. These sub-payloads total approximately 200 kg (~50 kg each). Optical measurements were to be made from the ground and from aircraft.