Mission type | Atmospheric |
---|---|
Operator | RAE |
Mission duration | Failed to orbit |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2 September 1970, 00:34:05 | UTC
Rocket | Black Arrow R2 |
Launch site | Woomera LA-5B |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Epoch | Planned |
Orba, also known as X-2, was intended to be the first satellite launched by a British rocket. It was launched at 00:34 GMT on 2 September 1970, atop a Black Arrow rocket from Launch Area 5B at Woomera, but failed to reach orbit after the second stage of the carrier rocket shut down 13 seconds early.[1] Orba was built from spare parts due to funding restrictions,[2] and was to have been used to measure upper atmosphere density by monitoring the decay of its orbit.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Wade, Mark. "Black Arrow". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
- ^ Hill, Nicholas. "Black Arrow". A Vertical Empire. Space UK. Archived from the original on 24 March 2003. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Orba (X 2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 28 October 2008.