NRL-PL 170 was a series of three small calibration satellites built by the Naval Research Lab (NRL). These satellites consisted of one gold plated sphere (#A) and two polished aluminum spheres (#B, #C), each with a mass of 0.7 kg and a diameter of 26 cm.
The three spheres were launched on 17. February 1971 as piggy-back payloads together with the DMSP-5A F3 meteorological satellite by a Thor-DSV2U Burner-2 from Vandenberg AFB.
The satellites reentered during the 1989 to 1990 timeframe.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Calibration |
| Operator: | Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) |
| Contractors: | Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) |
| Equipment: | ? |
| Configuration: | Sphere |
| Propulsion: | none |
| Power: | none |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 0.7 kg |
| Orbit: | 765 km × 831 km, 98.8° (#A); 763 km × 833 km, 98.8° (#B); 733 km × 832 km, 98.8° (#C) |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL-PL 170A (S70-4(a)) | 17.02.1971 | Va SLC-10W | Thor-DSV2U Burner-2 | with DMSP-5A F3, NRL-PL 170B, NRL-PL 170C | |
| NRL-PL 170B (S70-4(b)) | 17.02.1971 | Va SLC-10W | Thor-DSV2U Burner-2 | with DMSP-5A F3, NRL-PL 170A, NRL-PL 170C | |
| NRL-PL 170C (S70-4(c)) | 17.02.1971 | Va SLC-10W | Thor-DSV2U Burner-2 | with DMSP-5A F3, NRL-PL 170A, NRL-PL 170B |
