View source for Astronomy:Solar Mesosphere Explorer

{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = Solar Mesosphere Explorer
| image                 = solar mesosphere explorer.gif
| image_caption         =

| mission_type          = [[Astronomy:Earth observation satellite|Earth observation]]
| operator              = [[Organization:NASA|NASA]]
| website               = 
| COSPAR_ID             = 1981-100A
| SATCAT                = 12887
| mission_duration      = ~7 years

| spacecraft_bus        = 
| manufacturer          = [[Organization:Jet Propulsion Laboratory|Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]
| dry_mass              = 
| launch_mass           = {{cvt|437|kg|lb}}
| power                 = 
| instruments           = Ultraviolet ozone spectrometer<br />1.27 micrometer spectrometer<br />[[Chemistry:Nitrogen dioxide|nitrogen dioxide]] spectrometer<br />four-channel infrared radiometer<br />solar ultraviolet monitor<br />solar proton alarm detector

| launch_date           = {{start-date|October 6, 1981, 11:27|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC
| launch_rocket         = [[Engineering:Delta 2000|Delta 2310]]  
| launch_site           = {{wipe|Vandenberg Air Force Base}} SLC-2W
| launch_contractor     =

| disposal_type         = 
| deactivated           = 
| last_contact          = <!-- {{end-date|[insert date here]}} -->
| decay_date            =

| orbit_epoch           = 5 March 1991, 04:02:01&nbsp;UTC
| orbit_reference       = [[Astronomy:Geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime          = [[Astronomy:Low Earth orbit|Low Earth]]
| orbit_periapsis       = {{convert|535.0|km|mi|sp=us}}
| orbit_apoapsis        = {{convert|551.0|km|mi|sp=us}}
| orbit_inclination     = 97.5589&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_period          = 95.50&nbsp;minutes
| orbit_RAAN            = 138.8452&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_arg_periapsis   = 259.5734&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_mean_anomaly    = 100.6126&nbsp;degrees
| orbit_mean_motion     = 16.36783794
| orbit_rev_number      = 205
| apsis                 = gee

| programme             = [[Astronomy:Explorers Program|Explorers Program]]
| previous_mission      = [[Engineering:Dynamics Explorer|Dynamics Explorer 2]]
| next_mission          = [[Astronomy:Charge Composition Explorer|CCE]]
}}
The '''Solar Mesosphere Explorer''' (also known as '''Explorer 64''') was a U.S. [[Engineering:Unmanned spacecraft|unmanned spacecraft]] to investigate the processes that create and destroy [[Chemistry:Ozone|ozone]] in Earth's upper [[Earth:Atmosphere of Earth|atmosphere]]. The [[Earth:Mesosphere|mesosphere]] is a layer of the atmosphere extending from the top of the [[Earth:Stratosphere|stratosphere]] to an altitude of about {{cvt|80|km|mi}}. The spacecraft carried five instruments to measure ozone, [[Physics:Water vapor|water vapor]], and [[Astronomy:Solar irradiance|incoming solar radiation]].

Launched on October 6, 1981, on a Delta rocket from {{wipe|Vandenberg Air Force Base}}, in California, the satellite returned data until April 4, 1989. The spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere on March 5, 1991.

Managed for [[Organization:NASA|NASA]] by the [[Organization:Jet Propulsion Laboratory|Jet Propulsion Laboratory]], the Solar Mesosphere Explorer was built by Ball Space Systems and operated by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics of the University of Colorado where one hundred undergraduate and graduate students were involved.<ref>SME: Solar Mesosphere Explorer, University of Colorado at Boulder, {{cite web |url=http://lasp.colorado.edu/mission_history/missions/past/SME.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-09-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713231350/http://lasp.colorado.edu/mission_history/missions/past/SME.htm |archivedate=2007-07-13 }}</ref>

* Mass: 437 kilograms (963 pounds)
* Power: [[Physics:Solar panel|Solar panel]]s which charged NiCad batteries
* Configuration: Cylinder 1.25 meter (4.1&nbsp;ft) diameter by 1.7 meter (5.6&nbsp;ft) high
* Science instruments: Ultraviolet ozone spectrometer, 1.27 micrometre spectrometer, [[Chemistry:Nitrogen dioxide|nitrogen dioxide]] spectrometer, four-channel infrared radiometer, solar ultraviolet monitor, solar proton alarm detector

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070828145721/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/past/sme.html JPL - Solar Mesosphere Explorer]
* [http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/history/80s/Solar_Mesosphere_Explorer_1981.htm Launch video]
* [http://lasp.colorado.edu/sme/ Nitric Oxide measurements results]
* [http://gcmd.nasa.gov/records/GCMD_81-100A-05A.html Daily Solar Irradiance results]

{{Explorer program}}
{{Jet Propulsion Laboratory}}


[[Category:NASA satellites]]
[[Category:Explorers program (NASA)]]

{{Sourceattribution|Solar Mesosphere Explorer|1}}