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Surcal 2, 3, 4, 5
Surcal 5 [NRL]
Surcal (surveillance Calibration) satellites to calibrate the Naval Space Surveillance (NavSpaSur) system. They were produced in cooperation with the NRL group who had designed and developed the NavSpaSur system.
NAVSPASUR was the successor to NRL's innovative Vanguard tracking system, the Minitrack. Launched between 1962 and 1965, the SURCALs were built in different shapes and sizes. In contrast to Surcal 1, they were designed as free-flyers.
Surcal 5 operated for more than 7 years.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Calibration |
| Operator: | NRL |
| Contractors: | NRL |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | |
| Propulsion: | ? |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surcal 2 | 1962 βτ 4 | 13.12.1962 | Va 75-1-1 | P | Thor-DM21 Agena-D | with Poppy 3A, Poppy 3B, Injun 3, Calsphere 1, Wild Bill 2 |
| Surcal 3 | 1963-021F | 15.06.1963 | Va 75-1-1 | P | Thor-DM21 Agena-D | with Poppy 4A (Solrad 6), Poppy 4B, Poppy 4C (RADOSE), LOFTI 2A, Wild Bill 4 |
| Surcal 4 | 1965-016G | 09.03.1965 | Va 75-1-2 | Thor-DM21 Agena-D | with Poppy 6A (Solrad 7B), Poppy 6B, Poppy 6C (GGSE 2), Poppy 6D (GGSE 3), SECOR 3, Dodecapole 1, OSCAR 3 | |
| Surcal 5 | 1965-065K | 13.08.1965 | Va 75-1-1 | Thor-DSV2A Able-Star | with Transit-O 5, Tempsat 1, Dodecapole 2, Long Rod, Calsphere 2 |
References:
- NRL: The Origin of NCST
Further Surcal missions:
