NTS 2 (P76-4)
NTS 2 [NRL]
The successful launch of NTS-2 (Navigation Technology Satellite) marked the beginning of a new era in navigation and timekeeping history. NTS-2 was launched on 23 June 1977 as the first NAVSTAR GPS Phase I satellite.
NTS-2 technological features included cesium frequency standards, a nickel-hydrogen battery, three-axis gravity-gradient stabilization with momentum-wheel unloading, control of the spacecraft orbit, laser retroreflectors, solar-cell experiments, radiation dosimeters, and a worldwide network for data acquisition. The satellite experiment has verified Einstein's relativistic clock shift.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Navigation |
| Operator: | USAF STP (Space Test Program) |
| Contractors: | Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | Gravity Stabilized |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 431 kg |
| Orbit: | 19545 km × 20187 km × 63.28° |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTS 2 (P76-4) | 23.06.1977 | Va SLC-3W | Atlas-F SGS-1 |
Further Navstar GPS missions:
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Further STP missions:
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