NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION
W a l l o p Flight Center
Wallops Island, Va 23337
? Phone: 804/824-3411 Ext. 579
FOR RELEASE:
a Howard Allaway MONDAY,
Headquarters, Washington, D. C. March 31, 1975
(Phone: 202/755-8617)

Joyce B. M i l l i n e r
Wallops F l i g h t Center
(Phone: 804/824-3411 x579)

Release No. 75-4

NEW SATELLITE TO MEASURE OCEAN SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY AND SEA STATE

An E a r t h - o r b i t i n g s p a c e c r a f t designed t o measure p r e c i s e l y t h e

topography of t h e ocean s u r f a c e and t h e sea state--wave h e i g h t ,

p e ri o d , and d i r e c t i o n - - i s being prepared by NASA f o r launch no

e a r l i e r than A p r i l 9.

The new oceanographic-geodetic s a t e l l i t e , designated Geody-

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namics Experimental Ocean S a t e l l i the third i n a

series of s p a c e c r a f t designed t o of E a r t h ' s shape

and dynamic behavior.

The 340-kilogram (750-pound) s a t e l l i t e w i l l be launched a-

board a Delta r o c k e t from t h e Western T e s t Range n e a r Lompoc,

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C a l i f o r n i a , i n t o a c i r c u l a r o r b i t a t a n a l t i t u d e o f 843 kilometers

(523 s t a t u t e m i l e s ) where i t w i l l c i r c l e E ar th ever y 101.8 a i n u t e s

on a p a t h i n c l i n e d 65 degrees r e t r o g r a d e t o t h e equator .

GEOS-C w i l l be used t o compare s e v e r a l new and e s t a b l i s h e d geo-

p h y s i c a l measuring s y s tems including a r a d a r altimeter and s a t e l l i t e -

t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g as w e l l as r a d a r , l a s e r , and doppler t r a c k i n g .

The s p a c e c r a f t w i l l demonstrate t h e f e a s i b i l i t y and t h e u t i l i t y

of s a t e l l i t e altimeters f o r measuring t h e geometry of t h e oceans

and mapping t h e topography of t h e ocean s u r f a c e t o w i t h i n a pr e-

c i s i o n t o 1 t o 2 meters (about 40 t o 80 inches) . Radar pulses w i l l

be beamed t o t h e ocean s u r f a c e from t h e s a t e l l i t e and t h e i r r e t u r n

timed t o p r e c i s e l y measure t h e s a t e l l i t e a l t i t u d e from t h e sea s u r -

f a c e , t h u s provi ding mean sea l e v e l deter minations- - impor tant i n t h e

d e t erm i n a t ion of E a r t h ' s g r a v i t y f i e l d and i n t h e d e t e c t i o n of g l o b a l

ocean c i r c u l a t i o n p a t t e r n s , The g e n e r a l shape o r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of

t h e r e t u r n e d pulses as r e f l e c t e d from t h e sea s u r f a c e w i l l provide

a measure of t h e sea s t a t e i n t h e areas surveyed--important i n de-

t e c t i n g rough sea conditions o r t h e e f f e c t of storms.

The a l t i m e t e r d a t a a r e expected t o c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e r ef inement

of p r e s e n t knowledge of t h e geoid- - that i s , t h e l e v e l t h a t would be

assumed by t h e ocean s u r f a c e i n t h e absence of winds, c u r r e n t s , and

tides. They w i l l a l s o provide a d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e behavior of t h e

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ocean's s u r f a c e t h a t v a r i e s with time due t o c u r r e n t s and winds.

Thus t h e r a d a r a l t i m e t e r w i l l c o n t r i b u t e t o technology leading t o

highly accurate operational s a t e l l i t e altimetry.

The o r b i t of GEOS-C must be a c c u r a t e l y known so t h a t t h e

h e i g h t above sea l e v e l measured by t h e a l t i m e t e r can be a c c u r a t e l y

calibrated. To do t h i s , GEOS-C w i l l be tr acked from t h e ground by

l a s e r , r a d i o doppler, C-band r a d a r , and S-band r a d a r , as w e l l as

being t ra cked by Applications Technology S a t e l l i t e 0 6 (ATS-6) ,

launched l a s t y e a r , thus making GEOS-C t h e b e s t tracked s p a c e c r a f t

ev e r launched by NASA.

I n a d d i t i o n t o altimeter c a l i b r a t i o n , t h e p r e c i s i o n t r a c k i n g

w i l l y i e l d improved g r a v i t y f i e l d i n f w m a t i o n and w i l l make p o s s i b l e

more p r e c i s e p o s i t i o n l o c a t i o n of ground t r a c k i n g s t a t i o n s This

d a t a w i l l be u s e f u l i n such s t u d i e s of E ar th dynamics as t e c t o n i c

p l a t e motion, Earth r o t a t i o n , p o l a r motion, and c o n t i n e n t a l d r i f t

theory.

The s a t e l l i t e - t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g experiment by GEOS-C and

ATS-6, t h e f i r s t of t h i s kind, i s expected t o provide more p r e c i s e

o r b i t information on t h e observed s a t e l l i t e than i s now o b t a i n -

a b l e by t h e l e s s c o n s t a n t obser vations of ground s t a t i o n s .

From i t s geosynchronous a l t i t u d e , ATS-6 can observe GEOS-C f o r

more than h a l f i t s o r b i t . ATS-6 w i l l t r a c k and GEOS-C w i l l r a d i o

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ranging s i g n a l s through i t s S-band tr ansponder t o ATS-6, which i n

t u r n w i l l r e l a y t h e d a t a t o graund s t a t i o n s .

GEOS-C w i l l c a r r y an a r r a y of q u a r t z r e f l e c t o r s f o r laser rang-

in g . The r i n g of r e f l e c t o r s around t h e s a t e l l i t e has been designed

t o permit measurements t o a c c u r a c i e s of 10 centimeter s (4 i n c h e s ) ,

which h a s n o t been p o s s i b l e i n l a s e r t r a c k i n g of previous s a t e l l i t e s .

A laser beam w i l l be s e n t t o t h e s a t e l l i t e and t h e r e f l e c t e d s i g n a l

recei v ed a t t h e same ground s i t e . A network of ground l a s e r ranging

s t a t i o n s w i l l be used t o t r a c k GEOS-C dur ing i t s mission l i f e t i m e .

Powered by panels of s o l a r c e l l s , t h e 132 centimeter (52 inc h)

diameter GEOS-C w i l l be f i x e d i n o r b i t with i t s antennas pointed

Earthward by means of an extremely p r e c i s e g r a v i t y - g r a d i e n t s t a b i l i -

z a t i o n s y s t e m employing a s c i s s o r s - t y p e boom with a 45-kilogram (100-

pound) end mass. The mass a t t h e end o f t h e boom swings outward as

t h e s p a c e c r a f t c i r c l e s t h e globe i n i t s f i x e d o r b i t a l p a t h , l i k e a

b a l l t w i r l e d on a s t r i n g , keeping t h e antennas a t t h e opposite end

aimed a l w a y s a t Earth. A momentum wheel, l i k e a gyroscope, augments

t h e g r a v i t y g r a d i e n t boom t o pr ovide f u l l thr ee- axis s t a b i l i z a t i o n .

The GEOS-C i s consi dered a br idging s t e p between the NGSP and

t h e emerging NASA Earth and Ocean Physics Applications Program.

The GEOS-C Program i s under t h e management of N A S A ' s Of f ice of

Ap p l i cat i o ns. The NASA Wallops F l i g h t Center has p r o j e c t management

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r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r GEOS-C. Mission o p e r a t i o n s a r e managed by t h e

NASA Goddard Space F l i g h t Center, which a l s o manages t h e Delta

launch v e h i c l e p r o j e c t , The s p a c e c r a f t was designed and f a b r i c a t e d

by t h e Applied Physics Laboratory of t h e Johns Hopkins Univer sity.

Launch s i t e o p e r a t i o n s are managed by t h e NASA Kennedy Space Center

Unmanned Launch Operations D i r e c t o r a t e .

The GEOS-C s p a c e c r a f t and instruments c o s t about $12.5 m i l l i o n ;

t h e Delta launch v e h i c l e , about $4.5 m i l l i o n .

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

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BACKGROUND

Si n ce t h e advent of s a t e l l i t e s , man has made much pr ogr ess i n

r e f i n i n g h i s knowledge of t h e s i z e and shape of E ar th. The second
U. S. s a t e l l i t e (Vanguard 1, March 1 7 , 1958) determined t h e famous
pear-shaped component of Earth dur ing the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Geophysical
Year (IGY).

The p a r t i c u l a r o b j e c t i v e s of t h e NASA program i n s a t e l l i t e geod-

e s y have been t o provide a p r e c i s e measurement of E a r t h ' s s u r f a c e
and a mathematical d e s c r i p t i o n of E a r t h ' s s u r f a c e and i t s g r a v i t y f i e l d .
These o b j e c t i v e s formed t h e b a s i s of t h e National Geodetic S a t e l l i t e
Program (NGSP) i n i t i a t e d i n 1964, Under NASA management, t h e NGSP
was a j o i n t venture of t h e Departments of Defense and Commerce, w ith
p a r t i c i p a t i o n by s e v e r a l u n i v e r s i t i e s and i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s ,
t o meet some of t h e g e o d e t i c needs of t h e U. S .

The f i r s t o b j e c t i v e of t h e Geodetic S a t e l l i t e Program w a s t o gen-

erate a u n i f i e d world survey network with an accuracy of 10 meters.
Such a u n i f i e d world survey network provides necessar y p o i n t s f o r
g e o p h y s i c i s t s t o o b t a i n a b a s i c r e f e r e n c e f o r t h e p h y s i c a l measure-
ments of Eart h. These common r e f e r e n c e p o i n t s have been a ver y i m -
p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n of t h e space program. One of t h e f i r s t accom-
plishments i n space i n 1959 w a s t h e g e n e r a t i o n of a Mercury datum
used as a b a s i s f o r t h e Mercury t r a c k i n g network.

The second o b j e c t i v e of t h e NGSP w a s t o develope a more p r e c i s e

mathematical model of Earth ' s g r a v i t a t i o n a l f i e l d . This inf or ma tion
rev e a l ed d e t a i l s about E a r t h ' s dynamics and s t r u c t u r e . I t a l s o has
had s i g n i f i c a n t space a p p l i c a t i o n i n improving o r b i t a l p r e d i c t i o n
c a p a b i l i t y and made p o s s i b l e missions t h a t r e q u i r e h i g h - p r e c i s i o n
p o s i t i o n d e t erm ination.

The following i s a b r i e f f l i g h t h i s t o r y of the NASA s a t e l l i t e

geodesy program:

-- Explorer-22 (Beacon Explorer-B), launched October 10, 1964.

I n a d d i t i o n t o ionospheric s t u d i e s , t h i s s a t e l l i t e provided
t h e f i r s t i n s t a n c e of ground-based laser t r a c k i n g f o r use i n
t r a c k i n g and geodetic s t u d i e s .

-- Explorer-27 (Beacon Explorer-C), launched A p r i l 29, 1965.

With g e o d e t i c o b j e c t i v e s primary, t h i s mission c a r r i e d u l t r a -
s t a b l e o s c i l l a t o r s f o r p r e c i s e Doppler t r a c k i n g of o r b i t a l
i r r e g u l a r i t i e s f o r g r a v i t y f i e l d deter mination. Laser t r a c k i n g

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experiments and i onospher ic s t u d i e s were continued.

-- GEOS-1 (Explorer-29), launched November 6, 1965. This mission

contained b a s i c i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n from s e v e r a l p a r t i c i p a t i n g
ag e n ci es: a U. S. Navy Doppler system, U. S. Army e l e c t r o n i c
ranging system (SECOR), U. S. A i r Force o p t i c a l beacons, and
NASA laser r e f l e c t o r s and range and r a n g e - r a t e system. This
combination of instruments accomplished two important o b j e c t -
ives: (1) most of t h e o b s e r v a t i o n c a p a b i l i t y of t h e U. s.
could be focused on one s a t e l l i t e ; and (2) e r r o r s i n a p a r -
t i c u l a r system could be discovered and c o r r e c t e d by r e f e r e n c e
t o o t h e r systems.

-- PAGEOS -1 (PAssive GEOS), launched J u l y 1, 1966. This mission

c o n s i s t e d of t h e use of an ECHO-1 type, aluminized Mylar b a l -
loon f o r o p t i c a l s i g h t i n g by sun l i g h t r e f l e c t e d fmm t h e sat-
e l l i t e . By observing PAGEOS-1 a g a i n s t t h e s t a r background,
s t a t i o n s determined t h e i r o r i e n t a t i o n t o one another .

-- GEOS-2 (Explorer 36), launched January 11, 1968. This mission

w a s n e a r l y i d e n t i c a l t o GEOS-1 with a d d i t i o n a l laser equipment
and a new r a d a r system.

-- Skylab, launched May 14, 1973. This manned o r b i t i n g l a b o r a t o r y

w a s equipped w i t h an Ear th Resources Experiment Package (EREP)
t h a t included an e a r l i e r v e r s i o n of t h e GEOS-C r a d a r a l t i m e t e r .
The data obtained from t h e a l t i m e t e r provided "proof of concept"
f o r t h e GEOS-C instrument and supplied l o c a l i z e d samples of sea
s u r f a c e topography data.

I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e d a t a from t h e s e s a t e l l i t e s , consider able i n -

formation has been acqui red from many o t h e r s a t e l l i t e s whose o r b i t
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s and s y s t e m s have c o n t r i b u t e d t o s o l u t i o n s i n geodesy.

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The purpose of t h e GEOS-C P r o j e c t i s t o design, develop, and

launch an oceanographic/geodetic s a t e l l i t e and t o perform experi-
ments i n support of t he NASA E ar th and Ocean Physics Applicatio ns
Program (EOPAP). The GEOS-C P r o j e c t w i l l apply s a t e l l i t e techniques
t o geoscience i nves tigations--oceanography and s o l i d - E a r t h physics--
to:

1. Demonstrate t h e f e a s i b i l i t y and u t i l i t y of s a t e l l i t e a l t i -
meters f o r measuring t h e geometry of t h e ocean s u r f a c e . With s u f -
f i c i e n t accuracy i n the det er mination of t h e g e o c e n t r i c p o s i t i o n of
t h e s p a c e c r a f t and with s u i t a b l e a l t i m e t r y , t h e geometry of t h e
ocean s u r f a c e can be described and s e a l e v e l deter minations can be
made. This, i n t u r n w i l l c o n t r i b u t e t o refinement of t h e p r e s e n t
knowledge of t h e geoi d ( t h a t i s , t h e l e v e l t h a t would be assumed by
t h e ocean s u r f a c e i n t h e absence of winds, c u r r e n t s , and t i d e s ) and
t o t h e i n i t i a l d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e time-varying behavior of t h e
o c e a n ' s s u r f a c e and t h e l a r g e r quasi- s teady s t a t e depar tur es of
t h e s e a s u r f a c e from t h e geoid- - sea s u r f a c e s l o p e s , t i d e s , geo-
l o g i c a l e f f e c t s on t h e ocean's s u r f a c e , e t c . The mission w i l l pro-
v i d e d a t a f o r t h e d e t e c t i o n and measurement of oceanographic f e a -
t u r e s such as s e a s t a t e , wave h e i g h t s , and major c u r r e n t s y s t e m s .

2. Cont ri bute t o t h e c a l i b r a t i o n , d a t a accuracy deter mination,

and improvement of candidate ground-based and s a t e l l i t e - b o r n e
t r a c k i n g systems. The improvement i n ground t r a c k i n g accuracy,
e s p e c i a l l y t h e l a s e r t r a c k i n g , coupled with t h e a l t i m e t e r d a t a
w i l l c o n t r i b u t e t o the s o l u t i o n of such problems as d e t e c t i o n and
measurement of l o c a l g r a v i t y anomalies and the temporal v a r i a t i o n
of t h e g r a v i t y f i e l d ; t h e v e r i f i c a t i o n of c o n t i n e n t a l d r i f t theory,
p o l a r motion, t e c t o n i c motions (changes i n the s t r u c t u r e of E a r t h ' s
c r u s t ) , f a u l t motions, and E ar th r o t a t i o n .

3. Compare and c o r r e l a t e r e s u l t s obtained and make a v a i l a b l e

both t h e o b s e r v a t i o n a l d a t a and t h e r e s u l t s of analyses.

The GEOS-C mission a c t i v i t i e s a r e p r e s e n t l y scheduled f o r ap-

proximately a one-year peri od, although t h e a l t i m e t e r and sea- sur-
face topography f e a s i b i l i t y o b j e c t i v e s can be s a t i s f i e d i n about
s i x months. Data w i l l be provided t o r e f i n e t h e g e o d e t i c and geo-
p h y s i c a l r e s u l t s of t h e National Geodetic S a t e l l i t e Program (NGSP)
and f u r n i s h a t e s t bed f o r new systems and techniques t h a t are ex-
p e c t ed t o c o n t r i b u t e h e a v i l y toward t h e o b j e c t i v e s of EOPAP and
p a r t i c u l a r l y t o t h e development of SEASAT, a new oceanographic
s a t e l l i t e being planned f o r launch i n 1978. This mission w i l l a l s o
c o n t r i b u t e t o f u l f i l l i n g the Department of Defense C-band r a d a r

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c a l i b r a t i o n requirements and t h e altimeter requirements of both t h e

Departments of Defense and Commerce.

A broad spectrum of oceanographic and s c i e n c e and engineering

information w i l l r e s u l t from t h e a n a l y s i s of d a t a obtained from
GEOS-C. For example, 41 i n v e s t i g a t o r s o r i n v e s t i g a t i n g teams from
government, u n i v e r s i t y , and i n d u s t r i a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s were s e l e c t e d
from proposals submitted i n response t o a c a l l f o r space f l i g h t
d a t a i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i s s u e d i n October 1972. Analysis of t h e f i r s t
quick-look data w i l l begin about two weeks a f t e r t h e s a t e l l i t e has
been turned on i n o r b i t , and arrangements have been made t o provide
a p p r o p r i a t e data t o each i n v e s t i g a t o r on a r o u t i n e b a s i s .

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M I S S I O N OBJECTIVES

The GEOS-C mission o b j e c t i v e s i n o r d e r of p r i o r i t y a t launch

are :

1. To perform an i n - o r b i t s a t e l l i t e a l t i m e t e r experiment t o :
(a) determine t h e f e a s i b i l i t y and u t i l i t y of a space-borne r a d a r
a l t i m e t e r t o map t h e topography of t h e ocean s u r f a c e with an abso-
l u t e accuracy of pl us o r minus 5 meter s, (16% f e e 0 and with a
r e l a t i v e accuracy of 1 t o 2 meters (40 t o 80 i n c h e s ) , (b) determine
t h e f e a s i b i l i t y of measuring t h e d e f l e c t i o n of t h e v e r t i c a l a t sea,
(c) determine t h e f e a s i b i l i t y of measuring wave h e i g h t , and (d) con-
t r i b u t e t o t h e technology of f u t u r e a l t i m e t e r - s a t e l l i t e s y s t e m s w ith
a 1 0 -cen t imeter (4-inch) measurement c a p a b i l i t y .

2. To support f u r t h e r t h e c a l i b r a t i o n of NASA and o t h e r agen-

c i e s ' ground C-band r a d a r systems by pr oviding a spaceborne coherent
C-band t ra nsponder s y s t e m , t o a s s i s t i n l o c a t i n g t h e s e s t a t i o n s i n
t h e u n i f i e d Earth-cent ered r e f e r e n c e system, and t o provide t r a c k i n g
coverage i n support of t h e r a d a r - a l t i m e t e r experiment.

3. To perform a s a t e l l i t e - t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g experiment w ith

t h e Ap p l i cat ions Technology S a t e l l i t e - 6 (ATS-6) using an S-band
t ra n s p o n d e r system t o d i r e c t l y measure t h e s h o r t per iod a c c e l e r a t i o n s
imparted t o t h e s p a c e c r a f t by t h e g r a v i t y f i e l d and t o determine t h e
p o s i t i o n of t h e s p a c e c r a f t . The s a t e l l i t e - t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g
s y s t e m w i l l a l s o be used f o r r e l a y i n g a l t i m e t e r - d a t a through ATS-6.

4. To support f u r t h e r t h e inter compar ison of new and e s t a b l i s h e d

g e o d e t i c and geophysi cal measuring systems, including t h e r a d a r a l -
timeter, s a t e l l i t e - t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g , and C-band, S-band, l a s e r ,
and d o p p l er t r a c k i n g s y s t e m s .

5. To i n v e s t i g a t e s o l i d - E a r t h dynamic phenomena such as p o l a r

motion, f a u l t motion, Earth r o t a t i o n , E ar th t i d e s , and c o n t i n e n t a l
d r i f t t h eory wi th p r e c i s i o n s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g s y s t e m s such as t h e
laser and doppl er s y s t e m s .

6. To r e f i n e f u r t h e r o r b i t - d e t e r m i n a t i o n techniques, t h e determ-
i n a t i o n of interdat um t i e s , and g r a v i t y models with a s p a c e c r a f t
equipped with l a s e r r e t r o r e f l e c t o r s , C-band tr anponder s, S-band
tra n s p o n d e rs, and doppl er beacons.

7. To support t h e c a l i b r a t i o n of t h e S-Band s i t e s i n t h e N A S A ' s

Space Tracking and Data Network (STDN) by f u r n i s h i n g a space-borne
S-Band transponder t o a s s i s t i n p o s i t i o n i n g t h e network s t a t i o n s i n
t h e world r e f e r e n c e t r a c k i n g s y s t e m , and t o a s s i s t i n e v a l u a t i n g t h e

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Unified S-Band system as a tool for geodesy and precision orbit
determination.

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SPACECRAFT

GEOS-C i s a densel y packed, 340-kilogram (750-pound) s a t e l l i t e

wi t h an e i g h t - s i d e d aluminum s h e l l topped by a t r u n c a t e d pyramid.
It i s 132 centimeters (53 inches) wide and 8 1 centimeter s (32 i n -
ch e s ) h i gh. I t s s t r u c t u r e i s b a s i c a l l y t h e same as t h a t of GEOS-2,
which w a s launched January 11, 1968, with t h e s u b s t i t u t i o n of
h e a v i e r t r u s s e s t o accommodate t h e a d d i t i o n a l weight.

GEOS-C's main purpose i s t o perform experiments i n suppor t of

t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of g e o d e t i c s a t e l l i t e techniques t o geoscience s,
i . e . , s o l i d Earth physics and oceanography. The experiments GEOS-C
c a r r i e s t o achieve i t s o b j e c t i v e s are:

-- A r a d a r a l t i m e t e r - - t h e f i r s t t o b e c a r r i e d on an unmanned
s p a c e c r a f t - - t o demonstrate t h e f e a s i b i l i t y and u t i l i t y of using an
on-board a l t i m e t e r t o d e t e c t and measure oceanographic f e a t u r e s
such as s e a s t a t e , wave h e i g h t s , and major c u r r e n t systems.

-- Two C-band transponders t o suppor t t h e a l t i m e t e r and C-band

s y s t e m c a l i b r a t i o n as w e l l as f o r exper imentation t o determine t h e
accuracy of t h e system f o r geometric and g r a v i m e t r i c geodesy inves-
tigations.

-- One S-band transponder f o r s a t e l l i t e - t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g

and f o r Eart h tracki ng experiments t o measure more p r e c i s e l y t h e
s a t e l l i t e o r b i t and the g r a v i t y f i e l d .

-- Laser r e t r o r e f l e c t o r s f o r measuring t h e s a t e l l i t e range a t

o p t i c a l frequenci es.

-- A r a d i o doppler system t h a t tr ansmits on two coher ent f r e -

quencies used t o o b t a i n p r e c i s i o n s a t e l l i t e range r a t e d a t a .

The r a d a r a l t i m e t e r , l a s e r r e t r o r e f l e c t o r s , and t h e var ious

antennas are mounted on a platf or m a t t h e E ar th- f acing end of the
satellite.

The s p a c e c r a f t ' s o u t e r s u r f a c e s c a r r i e d panels of s o l a r c e l l s .

The s o l a r c e l l a r r a y s a r e designed t o provide maximum s o l a r c e l l
power o u tput and minimum d a i l y average f l u c t u a t i o n s i n the s a t e l -
l i t e ' s exposure t o s u n l i g h t a s i t o r b i t s E ar th. D i g i t a l s o l a r a t -
t i t u d e s e nsors a r e mounted below t h r e e e q u a t o r i a l s o l a r c e l l pa nels.
These s e nsors provide information on t h e s a t e l l i t e ' s o r i e n t a t i o n
r e l a t i v e t o t h e Sun.

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The C-band and S-band transponders and the d o p p l e r system a r e
mounted i n t he s a t e l l i t e . Also included i n the s a t e l l i t e a r e t h e
command system, t h e telemetry system, and t h e b a t t e r y which i s wired
t o the s o l a r c e l l a r r a y . A t h r e e - a x i s v e c t o r magnetometer f o r meas-
u r i n g t h e s a t e l l i t e o r i e n t a t i o n w i t h r e s p e c t t o E a r t h ' s magnetic
f i e l d and an electromagnet for s t a b i l i z i n g t h e s a t e l l i t e magnetically
a r e a l s o mounted i n t h e s a t e l l i t e .

A 600-centimeter s c i s s o r type boom extends from a housing i n the

pyramid end o f the s p a c e c r a f t t o provide g r a v i t y g r a d i e n t s t a b i l i z a t i o n
of the s a t e l l i t e a f t e r i t i s magnetically s t a b i l i z e d , s o t h a t t h e a l -
t i m e t e r , antennas, and laser r e f l e c t o r s w i l l p o i n t Earthward a t a l l
times. The boom can be r e t r a c t e d o r extended t o d i f f e r e n t lengths by
means o f a motor l ocated i n s i d e the s a t e l l i t e . A l s o i n the s a t e l l i t e
i s a c o n s t a nt -speed momentum wheel which provides f u l l t h r e e - a x i s
stabilization.

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INVESTIGATIONS

The GEOS-C mission w i l l conduct i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n 13 s p e c i f i c

categories:

Ocean Geoid Determination

This c at egory i ncludes a l l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s f o r t h e deter mina tion

of t h e geometry of mean s e a l e v e l using a l t i m e t r y d a t a alone o r i n
combination with o t h e r d a t a types.

The s a t e l l i t e a l t i m e t e r obser vations provide measurements of t h e

s a t e l l i t e h e i g h t above t h e ocean s u r f a c e . This d a t a can be used
d i r e c t l y t o estimate t h e ocean geoid, provided t h e s a t e l l i t e p o s i t i o n
can be determined with s u f f i c i e n t accuracy and/or e r r o r s i n s a t e l l i t e
position corrected.

I n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n t h i s c ategor y may c a l l f o r the combination of

a l t i m e t e r i nformation wi th geoid inf or mation obtained from e x i s t i n g
s u r f a c e g r avimetry, s a t e l l i t e g r a v i t y f i e l d inf or mation and geocen-
t r i c s t a t i o n position.

One of t h e important r e s u l t s expected t o be obtained from t h e

GEOS-C a l t i m e t e r i s improved d e f i n i t i o n of t h e ocean geoid. A t p r e s -
e n t , worldwide knowledge of t h e ocean geoid i s a v a i l a b l e only from
s a t e l l i t e g r a v i t y f i e l d d a t a which, a t b e s t , d e f i n e s v a r i a t i o n s w ith
widths of t h e o r d e r of 1500 kilometer s (about 900 m i l e s ) o r l a r g e r .
The s a t e l l i t e a l t i m e t e r , with p r e c i s i o n and/or accuracy of 1 t o 2
meters (40 t o 80 i n c h e s ) , has t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r g r e a t l y i n c r e a s i n g
knowledge of t h e ocean geoid i n those s u b s t a n t i a l p a r t s of t h e ocean
where no d e t a i l e d s u r f a c e g r a v i t y d a t a e x i s t s , as w e l l as c o n t r i b -
u t i n g t o increased accuracy i n those a r e a s where s u r f a c e g r a v i t y and
o t h e r t y p e s of g r a v i t y d a t a e x i s t .

Ocean Tides

A t p r e s e n t most measurements of ocean t i d e s are made a t c o a s t a l

s t a t i o n s where t h e t i d a l e f f e c t s a r e s t r o n g l y i n f l u e n c e by l o c a l
b a t h y m e t ric e f f e c t s . Although s e v e r a l t h e o r i e s e x i s t t h a t p e r m i t
t h e o r e t i c a l computation of deep ocean t i d e s , only l i m i t e d numbers of
measurements of deep ocean t i d e s have been made u t i l i z i n g bottom t i d e
meters.

The GEOS-C a l t i m e t e r has t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r r a p i d g l o b a l d e t e m -

i n a t i o n of ocean t i d e s . GEOS-C should allow e v a l u a t i o n of var ious
techniques f o r recovery of t i d e d a t a from s a t e l l i t e a l t i m e t e r

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measurements. To a i d i n t h i s e v a l u a t i o n , t h e t i d a l a n a l y s e s of
GEOS-C a l t i m e t e r d a t a w i l l be c a r r i e d o u t on d a t a c o l l e c t e d i n areas
where ground t r u t h i n t h e form of bottom t i d e meter data i s a v a i l -
able.

Sea State Determination

I n a d d i t i o n t o g i v i n g t h e d i s t a n c e between t h e s p a c e c r a f t and
t h e ocean s u r f a c e , t h e GEOS-C altimeter d a t a , through a n a l y s i s of
t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e r e t u r n p u l s e , i s expected t o provide i n -
formation on t h e sea s t a t e . I n p a r t i c u l a r , information on mean
wave h e i g h t , wave p e r i o d , and wave propagation d i r e c t i o n may be
determinable.

Although t h e o r e t i c a l s t u d i e s and a i r c r a f t r a d a r altimeter data

a n a l y s es have been c a r r i e d o u t , consider able e f f o r t i s needed t o
determine t h e degree t o which v a r i o u s types of sea s t a t e d a t a can
be e x t r a c t e d from a s a t e l l i t e altimeter and t o i d e n t i f y t h e b e s t
methods f o r c a r r y i n g out e x t r a c t i o n of t h e information. Most of
t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s planned f o r GEOS-C f o r sea s t a t e deter mination
an a l y s es a r e aimed a t e v a l u a t i o n of f e a s i b i l i t y and i d e n t i f i c a t i o n
of b e s t methods through comparison of r e s u l t s obtained from t h e
GEOS-C a l t i m e t e r with ground t r u t h i n f o r m t i o n on s e a s t a t e and
with data obtained from a i r c r a f t - b o r n e radar instr uments.

I n a d d i t i o n t o a n a l y s i s of GEOS-C d a t a i n terms of s e a s t a t e
parameters, t h e o b j e c t i v e s t h e s e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s include develop-
ment of information f o r use i n t h e design of f u t u r e s a t e l l i t e r a d a r
a l t i m e t e r s and det erm ination of p o t e n t i a l b i a s introduced i n t o
a l t i m e t e r sea s u r f a c e topography deter minations due t o s e a s t a t e .

Quasi -S tationary Departures f r o m t h e Marine Geoid

This category i ncludes a l l altimeter data analyses designed t o

i n v e s t i g a t e nonperiodic d e v i a t i o n s of sea l e v e l from t h e expected
v a l u e s based on p r e s e n t knowledge of t h e g r a v i t y f i e l d . It a l s o i n -
cludes anal yses of a l t i m e t e r d a t a t o determine sea s l o p e s a s s o c i a -
t e d with such phenomena as c u r r e n t s and wind setup.

The s e a s u r f a c e topography t h a t w i l l be measured by t h e GEOS-C

a l t i m e t e r i s a f u n c t i o n p r i m a r i l y of v a r i a t i o n o f t h e f o r c e of
g r a v i t y over E a r t h ' s s u r f a c e , changes i n atmospheric p r e s s u r e from
p o i n t t o p o i n t on t h e ocean s u r f a c e , d e n s i t y s t r u c t u r e of t h e water
column, s u r f a c e wind e f f e c t s , dynamic e f f e c t s due t o ocean c u r r e n t s ,
and t i d a l e f f e c t s . I f only g r a v i t a t i o n a l f o r c e s ( including r o t a t i o n )
were p r e s e n t , t h e s e a s u r f a c e topography would coincide with t h e
geoid.

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The e f f e c t s of atmospheric p r e s s u r e v a r i a t i o n s , wind f o r c e s ,

and t i d e s a r e time-variable w i t h a r easonably high temporal f r e -
quency. The e f f e c t s of d e n s i t y s t r u c t u r e of t h e water column and
c u r r e n t s a r e u s u a l l y consi der ed t o be q u a s i - s t a t i o n a r y depar tures
from t h e geoid, even though t h e e f f e c t s of c u r r e n t s do s h i f t over
r e s t r i c t e d a r e a s of t h e s u r f a c e .

One of t h e primary aims of NASA's E ar th and Ocean Physics Ap-

p l i c a t i o n s Program (EOPAP) i s t o determine, from a l t i m e t e r meas-
urements, depart ures of s e a s u r f a c e topography from t h e marine
geoid due t o water motion. The reason f o r t h i s i n t e r e s t l i e s i n
t h e f a c t t h a t t h e v e l o c i t y and volume of water i n motion can be
i n f e r r e d from t h e s e d e p a r t u r e s .

Gra vity Model Improvement

This category i ncludes a l l analyses of GEOS-C a l t i m e t e r and

t r a c k i n g d a t a which has the u l t i m a t e o b j e c t i v e of determining an
improved Earth g r a v i t y f i e l d model. These include both normal
p e r t u r b a t i o n analyses combining GEOS-C t r a c k i n g d a t a with d a t a
from o t h e r s a t e l l i t e s and analyses i n which t h e a l t i m e t e r geoid
h e i g h t i nform ation, s a t e l l i t e - t o - s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g experiment r a t e
i n fo rm a t i on, o r o t h e r t r a c k i n g d a t a a r e combined with e x i s t i n g i n -
formation f o r g r a v i t y f i e l d model improvement.

Improvement of t h e e x i s t i n g g r a v i t y models i s r equir ed t o

ach i ev e EOPAP goals from t h r e e viewpoints. F i r s t , s a t i s f a c t i o n
of a number of EOPAP goals r e q u i r e s improved s a t e l l i t e o r b i t de-
t e rm i n at ion which, t o a l a r g e e x t e n t , depends on an improved grav-
i t y model. Second, det erm ination of e f f e c t s of ocean c u r r e n t s on
sea s u r f a c e topography r e q u i r e s h i g h accuracy i n geoids with
which a l t i m e t e r - d e r i v e d s e a s u r f a c e topography can be compared.
In c re a s ed geoi d accuracy r e q u i r e s incr eased accuracy i n knowledge
of t h e g r a v i t y f i e l d . F i n a l l y , i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f an improved
g r a v i t y f i e l d o f f e r s the p o t e n t i a l o f incr eased understanding of
p l a t e t e c t o n i c s , and t h e r e f o r e , of t h e mechanisms producing e a r t h -
quakes.

Grav it y f i e l d information can be der ived from GEOS-C d a t a i n

t h r e e ways: (1) by combining inf or mation on t h e p e r t u r b a t i o n s of
GEOS-C from t r a c k i n g data with d a t a from o t h e r s a t e l l i t e s i n a
g e n e r a l p e r t u r b a t i o n a n a l y s i s ; (2) by a n a l y s i s o f s a t e l l i t e - t o -
s a t e l l i t e t r a c k i n g d a t a i n t h e same manner a s Lunar O r b i t e r and
Apollo d a t a were analyzed t o o b t a i n r e s i d u a l l i n e - o f - s i g h t a c c e l -
e r a t i o n s o r compatible g r a v i t y anomaly inf or mation; and ( 3 ) by

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transforming altimeter geoid height data to gravity anomaly infor-
mation. The investigations also include the combination of GEOS-C
data with gravity field information from other sources.

Geological Investigations

One important use of the geoid results to be derived from the

* GEOS-C altimeter data is interpretation in terms of the geological and
geophysical significance of the results. The GEOS-C altimeter results
can be of particular value in extending information to areas in which
little or no surface gravity information presently exists.

Solid-Earth Dynamics
This category includes a l l analyses involving the determination of
Earth tides, polar motion, and changes in rotation rate of Earth. It
also includes determination of very precise positions on Earth's surface
using GEOS-C tracking data for such purposes as determination of fault
motion and crustal plate motion.

High precision tracking of the GEOS-C satellite, particularly

by the submeter precision laser systems, allows derivation of im-
proved information on the dynamics of the solid Earth. Determi-
nations can be made of the effects of solid Earth tides and of the
motions of Earth's pole including Chandler motion, yearly motion,
and the diurnal wobble.
Intercomparison, Evaluation, and Calibration of Instrumentation Systems
This category includes all investigations whose objective is the
evaluation and calibration of altimeter, satellite-to-satellite tracking,
and ground tracking instrumentation to be used with the GEOS-C mission.
Evaluations of the on-board instrumentation and the ground systems are
included. All instrument intercomparison investigations and studies
related to instrumentation technology are in this category.

Since the satellite-to-satellite experiment involves new instru-

mentation, special emphasis will be given to evaluation and calibration
of these results,

Ground Truth Determination

This category includes all investigation whose objective is the

collection of data from ground, ship, and aircraft based systems and
the use of this data to evaluate satellite system characteristics.

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Tracking Station Location Improvement
This category includes all investigations to determine the location
of tracking stations where the objective is geodetic in nature and not for
Earth dynamic purposes,
Several types of tracking data taken using the GEOS-C satellite can
be used to provide improved station location information that will be
useful in support of altimeter calibration and to support other project
objectives. GEOS-C will provide data from new stations, data of higher
accuracy than previously available, and data from new instrumentation
types such 3 s very long baseline interferometer (VLBI) measurements.
Orbit Determination Improvement

Indirectly, GEOS-C can be expected to support improved orbit de-

termination by providing improved gravity field information. However,
this category will emphasize new types of tracking information such as
the satellite-to-satellite tracking experiment and altimeter data and
its capability to support improved orbit determination.
Data Manag ement /Information Proces s ing

This category includes investigations whose objective is the devel-

opment of methods and techniques for managing and processing the data
taken by the various instrumentation on the GEOS-C spacecraft. This
includes the development of data editing and preprocessing techniques.
Specifically, investigations are directed toward those systems expected
to be most useful in future Earth and ocean physics applications acti-
vities and involve advanced techniques applicable to future activities.
Unique SYStern Investigations
Three GEOS-C investigations are uniquely associated with a particular
instrumentation and do not fit into any of the preceding 12 categories,
One investigation deals with atmospheric studies utilizing satellite-
to-satellite tracking experiment data taken through the atmosphere while
the other two relate to altimeter and to the C-Band system.

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PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

GEOS-C investigations will be conducted by many membegs of the

scientific community. Principal investigations are listed by in-
- vestigational category.

Ocean Geoid

Black, Dr. H. D. Johns Hopkins University, Applied

Physics Laboratory

Chovitz, B. H. National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOM)

Dohler, G. C. Department of the Environment,

Ottawa, Canada

Gaposchkin, Dr. E. M. Smithsonian Astrophysical Obser-

vatory

Hadgigeorge, G. Air Force Cambridge Research

Laboratory

Jordan, Dr. S. K. The Analytic Sciences Corporation

Lambeck, Dr. K. Observatorie de Paris, Mendon,
France

Mather, Dr. R. S. University of New South Wales,

Australia
Siry, Dr. J. W. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Tolson, R. R. NASA Langley Research Center

Ocean Tides

Dohler, G. C. Department of the Environment,

Ottawa, Canada

Hendershott, Dr. M. C. Scripps Institute of Oceanographys

Kuo, Dr. J. T. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory

Mofjeld, Dr. H. 0. NOM

Siry, Dr. J. W. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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Sea S t a t e

Barri c k , D r . D. E. NOAA

Black, P. G . NOM

Gower, D r . J. F. R. Marine Sciences D i r e c t o r a t e ,

V i c t o r i a , B. C . , Canada

Miller, D r . L. S . Applied Science Associates, Inc.

Pi e rs o n , D r . W. J. Univer sity I n s t i t u t e of Oceano-

graphy
Ross, D. NOAA

Walsh, D r . E. J. NASA Wallops F l i g h t Center

Wells, D r . W. T. Wolf Research and Development

Corporation

Whitlock, C. H. NASA Langley Research Center

Qu a s i -St a ti onary Departures from t h e Marine Geoid

Apel, D r . J. R. NOAA

L e i t a o , C. D. NASA Wallops F l i g h t Center

Grav i t y Model Improvement

Chovitz, B. H. NOAA

Khan, D r . M. A. Computer Sciences Corporation

Rapp, D r . R. H. Ohio S t a t e Univer sity

S i r y , D r . J. W. NASA Goddard Space F l i g h t Center

Sj o g re n , W. L. J e t Pr opulsion Laboratory

Wong, L. The Aerospace Corporation

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Geological I n v e s - t i g a t i o n s

Kaula, Pro f. W. M. U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n t a I

* Talwani, D r . M. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory

S o l i d Earth Dynamics

Bower, D r . D. R. Department of Energy, Mines and

Resources, O t t a w a , Canada

Douglas, B. C. NOAA

Smith, D r . D. E. NASA Goddard Space F l i g h t Center

Tapley, D r . B. D. U n i v e r s i t y of Texas

Bryan, J. W. NASA Goddard Space F l i g h t Center,

Dooley, D r . R. P. Technology S e r v i c e Corporation

6 .

Lutz, G. DFVLR Mobile Rakentenbasis ,

Feder al Republic of Germany

Martin, D r . C. F. Wolf Research and Development

Corporation

Godbey, T. W. General E l e c t r i c Company

Ground Truth

Mourad, A. G. Battelle Memorial I n s t i t u t e

P ie rs o n , D r . W. J. U n i v e r s i t y I n s t i t u t e of Oceanography

Tracking S t a t i o n Location

F i s h e r , D. Tel-Aviv U n i v e r s i t y , Tel-Aviv,
Israe 1

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Tracking S t a t i o n .L.oca.tipn .- .continued

K r a b i l l , W. B. NASA Wallops F l i g h t Center

Marsh, J. G . NASA Goddard Space F l i g h t Center

Escobol, P. J e t Pr opulsion Laboratory

Wilson, D r . P. Technischen U n i v e r s i t a t , Munchen,

Feder al Republic of Germany

O r b i t Determination

Balmino, D r . G . Centre National D'Etudes S p a t i a l e s ,

France

Black, H. D. Johns Hopkins Univer sity, Applied

Physics Laboratory

Data Management/Information Pr ocessing

Godbey, T. W. General E l e c t r i c Company

Unique System I n v e s t i g a t i o n s
Hofmeister, D r . E. L. General E l e c t r i c Company

Jackson, E. B. NASA Wallops F l i g h t Center

Liu, A. S. J e t Pr opulsion Laboratory

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J

'DELTA 'LAUNCH VEHICLE

GEOS-C w i l l be launched from SLC-2W a t t h e Western Test Range, CA,

by a two-stage Delta launch v e h i c l e . The v e h i c l e Ss approximately 32
meters (106 f e e t ) long, with a maximum body diameter of.-2.4 m (8 f e e t ) .
The Delta has been launched s u c c e s s f u l l y 90 percene o f t h e t i m e f o r
t h e p a s t 14 years.
m
F i r s t Stage

The f i r s t s t a g e is a McDonnell Douglas modified Thor b o o s t e r i n c o r -

p o r a t i n g four s t r a p - o n Thiokol Castor I1 solid-fue.1 r o c k e t motors. The
b o o s t e r i s powered by a Rocketdyne M B - I 1 1 B engine using l i q u i d oxygen
and l i q u i d hydrocarbon p r o p e l l a n t s . The main engine i s gimbal-mounted
t o provide p i t c h and yaw c o n t r o l from l i f t q f f t o main e q i n e c u t o f f
(MECO). Two l i q u i d - p r o p e l l a n t v e r n i e r engines provide r o l l c o n t r o l
throughout f i r s t s t a g e o p e r a t i o n and p i t c h and yaw c o n t r o l from MECO
t o s e p a r a t i o n of t h e f i r s t and second s t a g e s .

Second Stage

The second s t a g e i s powered by a TRW l i q u i d - f u e l pr essur e- f e d ~

TR-201 engine t h a t a l s o i s gimbal-mounted t o provide p i t c h and yaw

c o n t r o l through second s t a g e burn. A n i t r o g e n gas s y s t e m using
e i g h t f i x e d nozzl es, provides r o l l c o n t r o l during powered and coast
f l i g h t as w e l l as p i t c h and yaw c o n t r o l dur ing c o a s t and a f t e r
second s t a g e c u t o f f . Two f i x e d nozzles, fed by t h e p r o p e l l a n t -
tank helium p r e s s u r i z a t i o n s y s t e m , provide r e t r o t h r u s t a f t e r 'space-
c r a f t separation.

1 . . ...
* ' . . .

. ,

- molrer-
1 I 1 I I I
 - 24 -
DELTA FACTS AND FIGURES

The Delta launch v e h i c l e p r o j e c t i s under t h e t h e t e c h n i c a l

management of t h e Goddard Space F l i g h t Center , Gr eenbelt, Maryland;
McDonnell Douglas Astronaut ics Co., Huntington Beach, C a l i f o r n i a ,
i s t h e prime c o n t r a c t o r . The two-stage Delta has t h e following
general characteristics :

Height 32 meters (106 f e e t ) including shroud;

Maximum di ameter 2.4 m (8 f t . ) without a t t a c h e d s o l i d s ;
L i f t o f f weight 110, 165 kg (243,190 l b s . )
L i f t o f f t h r u s t 1,375,000 newtons (307,000 l b s . ) , including
f o u r s trap-on s o l i d s .

F i r s t St age ( l i q u i d only) c o n s i s t s of an extended long tank Thor,

produced by McDonnell Douglas Astr onautics Co., with MB-111 B engines,
produced by t h e Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell I n t e r n a t i o n a l , and has
t h e following c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s :

A diameter of 2.4 m (8 f e e t ) ;
A h e i g h t of 18 (60 f e e t ) ;
P r o p e l l a n t s of RP-1 kerosene as t h e f u e l and l i q u i d oxygen
(LOX) as the o x i d i z e r ;
A t h r u s t of 780,000 N (175,000 l b s . ) ;
A burning t i m e of about t h r e e minutes and 48 seconds;
A weight of about 84,600 kg (186,000 l b s . ) excluding str ap- on
solids.

Strap-on s o l i d s c o n s i s t of f our Castor I1 s o l i d p r o p e l l a n t

r o c k e t s produced by t h e Thiokol Chemical Corporation, with t h e
following f e a t u r e s :

A d i a meter of 0.8 m (31 i n . ) ;

A h e i g h t of 7 m (23.6 f e e t ) ;
A t o t a l weight of 17, 900 kg (39,400 l b s . ) f o r f our 4,475 kg
(9,850 l b s . ) each
A maximum t h r u s t of 925,600 N (208,000 l b s . ) f o r f our 231,400 N
(52,000 l b s .) each
A burning t i m e of 38 seconds

Second S t ape: Produced by McDonnell Douglas Astr onautics Co.,

u s i n g a TRW-201 rocket engine; major c o n t r a c t o r s f o r t h e v e h i c l e i n -
e r t i a l guidance system l o c a t e d on t h e second s t a g e a r e Hamilton
Standard and Teledyne.

P r o p e l l a n t s : Liquid--Aerozene 50 f o r t h e f u e l and Nitrogen

Te t ro x i d e (N204) f o r t h e o x i d i z e r .

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 - 25 -
Diameter: 1 . 5 m (5 f e e t ) plus 2.4 m (8 f e e t ) attached ring.

Height: 6 . 4 m (21 feet)

. Weight: 61,800 kg (136,000 lbs.)

Thrust: About 42,300 N (9,500 lbs.)

Total Burning Time: 335 seconds.

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 - 26 -
LAUNCH OPERATIONS

NASA launch operations from i t s West Coast f a c i l i t y are con-

ducted by the Kennedy Space C e n t e r ' s Unmanned Launch Oper ations,
Western Launch Operations Division (WLOD). This f a c i l i t y i s l o c a t -
ed a t Vandenberg A i r Force Base, near Lompoc, C a l i f o r n i a , appr oxi-
mately 125 m i l e s northwest of Los Angeles and 280 miles south of
San Francisco. Launch f a c i l i t i e s a r e l o c a t e d on a promontory which
j u t s i n t o t h e P a c i f i c Ocean near Point Arguello. This makes i t pos-
s i b l e t o launch t o t h e south and place payloads i n p o l a r and ne ar-
p o l a r o r b i t s without overfl ying populated a r e a s .

GEOS-C w i l l be launched by Delta 110 from Space Launch Complex

2 West, which has been e x t e n s i v e l y updated over t h e year s t o accept
t h e v ari o us Delta c o n f i g u r a t i o n s , including t h e powerful new v e r s i o n
now i n u s e. The GEOS-C mission w i l l be t h e second launch t h i s y e a r
from t h i s complex. Del ta 107 was s u c c e s s f u l l y launched on January 2 2
t o p l a c e LANDSAT-2 i n a near p o l a r , sun-synchronous o r b i t a t an a l t i -
tude o f 920 kilometers (570 s t a t u t e m i l e s ) .

Pre p arations f o r t h e launch of GEOS-C began i n l a t e January w i t h

t h e a r r i v a l of t h e Delta 110 f i r s t and second s t a g e s a t WLOD f o r pre-
l i m i n a ry checkout and e r e c t i o n . The GEOS-C s p a c e c r a f t w a s shipped
from t h e Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory i n mid-February and
a r r i v e d a t KSC/WLOD duri ng t h e t h i r d week of February.

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 .

GEOS-C LAUNCH EVENTS

TIME VELOCITY
EVENT (SEC. ) KM ALTITUDE METERS/SEC (FT. /SEC. )
MILES

Liftoff 0 0 0 0 0

Four Solid Motor Burnout 9 4.4 2.7 448 1494

Four Solid Motor Jettison 120 26 16 475 1584

Main Engine Cutoff 272 96 60 4179 13931
First/Second Stage Separation 280 104 64 4174 13914
1
Second Stage Ignition 285 109 68 4164 13879 E3
U

Fairing Jettison 305 126 78 4267 14224 I

Second Stage F i r s t Cut-off 576 185 115 7854 26180

Second Stage Res tart 3419 842 522 7140 23799
Second Stage Second Cut-off 3426 842 522 7314 24381
Spacecraft Separation 3501 840 521 7315 24382

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 - 28 -
GEOS-C MANAGEMENT

NASA Headqu a.r.tte.r,s

Charles W. Mathews Associate Administr ator f o r

Applications

Fran c i s L. Williams D i r e c t o r of S p e c i a l Programs

Dick S . D i l l e r GEOS-C Program Manager

James P. Murphy GEOS-C Program S c i e n t i s t

Noel W. Hinners Associate Administr ator f o r

Space Science

Joseph B. Mahon D i r e c t o r of Launch Vehicle

and Pr opulsion Program

I. T. G i l l a m I V Small Launch Vehicle and

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Programs Manager

P. T. Eaton Delta Program Manager

Wallops F l i g h t Center

Robert L. Kri eger Director

Laurence C. Rossi Pr oj ec t Manager

H. Ray S t a n l e y Project Scientist

Frank M. Boykin Spacecr af t Sys t e m s Manager

Gpddard. Sp.ace, F.1.igh.t..Ce.n.t,er

D r . John F. C l ark Director

Robert N. Lindley D i r e c t o r of P r o j e c t s

John B. Zegal ia Mission Operations Systems

Manager’and Mission Support Manager

Richard H. S c l a f f o r d Network Support Manager

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 - 29 -
-
Goddard Space Fl-ight Center (con '.t..)
Robert C. Baumann Associate Director of Projects
for Delta
i

Francis J. Lawrence Delta Mission Integration Engineer

Kennedy S ~ 3 c . eCen.ter
.
Lee R. Scherer RCrectol
John J. Neilon Dj-rector, Unmanned Launch Operations

Henry R. Van Goey Manager, KSC Western Launch Oper-

at ions Divis ion

Wi lmer "Bud It Thacke r Chief, Delta Operations, Launch

Vehicle Engineering Branch
Carl Latham GEOS-C Spacecraft Coordinator

Experiment Managers

C. L. Purdy Radar Altimeter Experiment

Systems Manager, NASA Wallops
Flight Center
E. B. Jackson C-Band Experiment System Manager, WFC
B. J. Trudell Satellite-to-Satellite Experiment
Sys tem Manager, GSFC
C. C. Stephanides Laser Experiment System
Manager, GSFC
D. Anderle Doppler System Manager, NWL
I. M. Salzberg S-Band Experiment System Manager, GSFC

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Support Organi.z.a.t.ions
Spacecraft and Experiment Hardware Contractor: Applied Physical
Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University

Launch Vehicle Contractor: McDonald-Douglas Aircraft Corporation

Launch Site: Air Force Western Test Range, Vandenberg Air Force
Base, CA

ATS-6 Project: Dr. James E. Kupperian, Jr., Project Manager, GSFC

Ground Truth: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--

Lt. L. Goodman
Naval Research Laboratory--Ben Yaplee

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 - 31 -
CONTRACTORS

HAFUIWA.RE

c GEOS-C S p a c e c r a f t Applied Physics Lab

s
Delta Launch Vehicle McDonne 11 Douglas A i r c r a f t Corp .
A 1t ime t er General E l e c t r i c

S-Band Transponder Motorola

C-Band Transponder Vega P r e c i s i o n Labs

Laser Cubes zygo Corp.

Doppler Applied Physics Lab

SUPPORT

Computer Sciences Corp.

Wolf Research and Development Corp.

Applied Sciences Associates

RCA Corp.

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