Transit 2A, 2B
Transit 2A [US Navy]
The two Transit program objectives were
- to develop and demonstrate equipment to provide a reliable means of fixing the position of surface craft, submarines, and aircraft--anywhere and in any weather--more precisely, and
- to provide more accurate maritime and aerial navigation in any weather than currently available.
The Transit 2A spacecraft had as its instrument complement the following: cosmic-noise radiometer, transmitters, infrared scanner to measure satellite rotation before despin was initiated, and temperature sensors. The power supply was a nickel-cadmium battery, recharged by solar cells. The transmitters operated at the following frequencies: 54, 162, 216, and 324 MHz.
Additional scientific payloads were:
- Infrared Scanner
- Cosmic Noise Receiver
- Ionospheric Beacon
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Navigation |
| Operator: | USN |
| Contractors: | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) |
| Equipment: | ? |
| Configuration: | Sphere |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Solar cells (body mounted), batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 101 kg |
| Orbit: | 628 km × 1047 km, 66.69° |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transit 2A | 22.06.1960 | CC LC-17B | Thor-DM21 Able-Star | with Solrad 1 | |
| Transit 2B | not launched |
