SOLRAD 4B
Scout X-2
US Navy
Mission
SOLRAD 4B
- Type: Astrophysics
- Orbit: Low Earth Orbit
- Launch Cost: $8,910,000
SOLRAD (SOLar RADiation) 4B was a solar X-ray, ultraviolet, and electronic surveillance satellite. Developed by the United States Navy’s United States Naval Research Laboratory, it was the fifth in both the SOLRAD and the GRAB (Galactic Radiation And Background) programs.
Location
Space Launch Complex 5
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Space Launch Complex 5 has witnessed the launch of 69 rockets, including 69 orbital launch attempts, while Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA, has been the site for 765 rocket launches.
Rocket
Vought Scout X-2
The Scout family of rockets were were American launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages.
Agency
US Navy
The Navy was competed with the Army to put the first American satellite into orbit. Their first two Vanguard missions failed, with the second being a highly publicized failure, as it exploded on the launchpad. They went on to put 3 satellites into orbit but did not beat the Army to be the first. Their work in space continues today largely on military satellites.
