IRCB (Infra-Red Calibration Balloon) was an 66 cm diameter inflatable calibration sphere orbited in the Space Test Program. It was a piggy-back payload on a KH-9 (Hexagon) spysat launch. The IRCB used a LPC-509 solid rocket motor to reach its own orbit. It was inflated upon separation from the launch vehicle. It was to serve as a calibration target for various other electromagnetic remote sensing equipment. Internal battery power was provided.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Experimental |
| Operator: | US Air Force (USAF) STP (Space Test Program) |
| Contractors: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | Batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 184 kg |
| Orbit: | 786 km × 826 km, 94.60° |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRCB (S73-7) | 1974-020B | 10.04.1974 | Va SLC-4E | Titan-3D [LPC-509] | with KH-9 8, Tophat 2 |
