Development
''Alouette 1'' was part of a joint Canada-U.S. scientific program. Its purpose was to investigate the properties of the top of the ionosphere, and the dependence of those properties on geographical location, season, and time of day. ''Alouette 1'' was advanced for its time, andExperiments
''Alouette 1'' carried four scientific experiments: *Sweep-Frequency Sounder. This experiment measured the electron density distribution in the ionosphere by measuring the time delay between the emission and return of radio pulses. The sounder was able to emit pulses with frequencies between 1 and 12 megahertz, with a power of 100 W. *Energetic particle detectors. An arrangement of Geiger counters and scintillators for detecting energetic particles. *VLF Receiver. An experiment for measuring both artificial and natural VLF signals. It was sensitive to frequencies between 400 and 10,000 Hz. *Cosmic Radio Noise. Two long radio antennas used for detecting radio noise from the Sun and the Galaxy. The satellite did not have a tape recorder to store data. It was only possible to obtain data when the satellite was in range of a receiving station.Duplicate construction
Two satellites were built for redundancy in case of a malfunction; if the first unit failed, the second could be launched with only a couple of months delay. It took 3½ years after ''Alouette''s proposal to have it developed and built. The satellites S27-2 (prototype), S27-3 (which became the launched satellite), and S27-4 (which became the backup) were assembled by Defence Research Telecommunications Establishment (DRTE) Electronics Lab in Ottawa, Ontario. The mechanical frame and the deployable STEM antennas were made by Special Products and Applied Research Aerospace ( SPAR Aerospace), a former division of de Havilland Canada (DHC) in North York, Ontario, in a building which many years later (until 2012) housed the Canadian Air and Space Museum. The batteries used for ''Alouette'' were developed by the Defence Chemical, Biological, and Radiation Laboratory (DCBRL), another branch of DRB, and were partially responsible for the long lifetime of the satellite. The "Storable Tubular Extendable Member" antennas used were the first of DHC's STEM antennas used in space, and at launch were the longest (150 feet tip to tip). Companies such as RCA Victor and Spar Aerospace Limited produced some of their first pieces of space equipment for the Alouette 1 project. Parts used for the construction of Alouette 1 can still be found in the Musée des ondes Emile Berliner in Montreal, Quebec where part of the satellite was worked on.Satellite launch and mission progress
''Alouette 1'' was launched via Thor-Agena-B two-stage rocket by NASA from the Pacific Missile Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA at 06:05 UTC on September 29, 1962, into orbit around Earth. The satellite was placed into an almost circular orbit with an altitude of to with an inclination of 80.5°. The launch made Canada the third nation, after the USSR and the United States, to design and construct its own satellite. ''Alouette'' was used to study the ionosphere, using over 700 different radio frequencies to investigate its properties from above. The satellite was initially spin-stabilized, rotating 1.4 times per minute. After about 500 days, the rotation had slowed to about 0.6 rpm and the spin-stabilization failed at this point. It was then possible to determine the satellite's orientation only by readings from a magnetometer and from temperature sensors on the upper and lower heat shields. The orientation determinations obtained this way were only accurate to within 10 degrees. It is likely that gravitational gradients had caused the longest antenna to point towards the Earth. A 2010 technical report by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency titled "Collateral Damage to Satellites from an EMP Attack"Conrad, Edward E., et al. "Collateral Damage to Satellites from an EMP Attack" Report DTRA-IR-10-22, Defense Threat Reduction Agency. August 201Post mission
After ''Alouette 1'' was launched, the upper stage of the rocket used to launch the satellite became a :Derelict satellites orbiting Earth, derelict object that would continue to orbit Earth for many years. , the upper stage remains in orbit. The satellite itself became a derelict, remaining in Earth orbit . The ''Alouette 1'' was named an IEEE Milestone in 1993. It is featured on the Amory Adventure Award. ''Alouette 1''s backup was later launched, with some modification, as '' Alouette 2'' in 1965 to "replace" the older ''Alouette 1''.See also
* Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes * Prince Albert Radar Laboratory (used as the initial ground station)References
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