Pearl Ruby was a piggy-back experiment flown on the last KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance satellite.
Likely Pearl Ruby was to test advanced Infra-red sensors on orbit as part of DARPA's Ruby series of infrared experiments.
This subsatellite was to be deployed from a rack mounted on the KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance satellites and to use a solid-fuel kick-motor to maneuver itself into the operational orbit after deployment, but it was lost in a launch failure.
Nation: | USA |
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Type / Application: | Technology ? |
Operator: | DARPA |
Contractors: | |
Equipment: | ? |
Configuration: | mod. P-11 bus ? |
Propulsion: | Kick motor |
Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
Lifetime: | |
Mass: | |
Orbit: |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pearl Ruby | 1986-F03 | 18.04.1986 | Va SLC-4E | F | Titan-34D | with KH-9 20 |