Miranda
The British Miranda satellite, also known as X-4, was an experimental spacecraft. It was designed to serve as an engineering test bed to check the application of a three-axis integrating gyro system for attitude control and a three-axis rate gyro system for rate control.
The satellite was in the form of a box 83.5 cm high, with a square base 66.5 cm on a side. Electrical power to the spacecraft was supplied from batteries and solar panels. When fully deployed the panels measured 250 cm in length. The payload package consisted of:
It was originally planned to be launched on the 5th british Black Arrow booster, but due to cancellation of the launcher program it was eventually launched by a Scout-D1.
Nation: | U.K. |
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Type / Application: | Technology |
Operator: | Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) |
Contractors: | Hawker Siddeley Dynamics, Ltd. |
Equipment: | |
Configuration: | Box with 2 solar arrays |
Propulsion: | three-axis propane gas jet system |
Power: | 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | |
Mass: | 92 kg |
Orbit: | 714 km × 916 km, 97.8° |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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Miranda (X 4) | 1974-013A | 09.03.1974 | Va SLC-5 | Scout-D1 |