Weather Satellites: ATS IV

ATS IV - Applications Technology Satellite IV

Launch date: August 10, 1968

Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida

Launch vehicle: Atlas Centaur

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:

Evaluate gravity-gradient stabilization and new imaging techniques for meteorological data retrieval.

SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION:

The spacecraft was deactivated after 61 minutes when the Centaur rocket failed to ignite. The satellite's orbit was too low and the resulting atmospheric drag caused it to re-enter the earth's atmosphere and break-up on October 17, 1968.

PARTICIPANTS:

NASA, Hughes, AVCO, Control Data Corp., General Dynamics, ITT, Raytheon, RCA, Sylvania, Westinghouse