View source for Engineering:SURCAL

{{Short description|Series of radar calibration satellites}}
The '''Surveillance Calibration''' (or '''SURCAL''') satellites were a series of [[Astronomy:Radar calibration satellite|radar calibration satellite]]s for the Naval Space Surveillance radar system. They were launched in the 1960s.

==Background==
[[File:Surcal-5.jpg|thumb|150px|SURCAL 5]]
The SURCAL series of satellites were produced by the Naval Research Laboratory to act as test and calibration targets for the Naval Space Surveillance radar.  The first SURCAL satellite was intended to remain attached to the launch vehicle<ref name="skyrocket-surcal1">{{cite web |last1=Krebs |first1=Gunter D. |title=Surcal 1 |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/surcal-1.htm |website=Gunter's Space Page |access-date=8 October 2021 |language=en |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501064309/https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/surcal-1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and was a 5.5 inch long, 5.5 inch diameter cylinder.<ref name="navy-spy-missions">{{cite journal |last1=Deac |first1=Wilfred P |title=The Navy's Spy Missions in Space |journal=U.S. Naval Institute |date=1 April 2008 |volume=22 |issue=2 |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/april/navys-spy-missions-space |access-date=8 October 2021 |language=en |archive-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421145952/https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/april/navys-spy-missions-space |url-status=live }}</ref> The other four SURCAL satellites were box-shaped with solar panels, a transponder, and antennas.<ref name="nrl-satellites">{{cite journal |last1=McDowell |first1=Jonathan |title=Naval Research Laboratory Satellites 1960-1989 |journal=Journal of the British Interplanetary Society |date=1997 |volume=50 |pages=427-432 |url=https://planet4589.org/jcm/pubs/space/papers/1997/nrl.pdf |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=18 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918214248/https://planet4589.org/jcm/pubs/space/papers/1997/nrl.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> They transmitted a 216 [[Hertz|MHz]] signal on command.<ref>{{cite journal |title=NRL Satellites |journal=Naval Research Reviews |date=August 1965 |page=cover|volume=18|number=8|editor1-last=Olson |editor1-first=Richard D.}}</ref>

==Launches==
[[File:SURCAL I.jpg|thumb|150px|SURCAL 1]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|+ '''SURCAL Satellites'''
|- 
! Name
! COSPAR<ref name="planet4589-launchlog">{{cite web|url=https://www.planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt|title=Launch Log|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|publisher=Jonathan's Space Report|access-date=8 October 2021|archive-date=9 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909084638/http://planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>
! Launch date<ref name="planet4589-launchlog"/>
! Rocket<ref name="astronautix">{{cite web |last1=Wade |first1=Mark |title=SURCAL |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/surcal.html |website=www.astronautix.com |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=5 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905194232/http://www.astronautix.com/s/surcal.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
! Mass (kg)
! Re-entry <ref name="planet4589-satcat">{{cite web|url=https://www.planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt|title=Satellite Catalog|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|publisher=Jonathan's Space Report|access-date=8 October 2021|archive-date=9 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909084638/http://planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- 
| SURCAL 1
| N/A
| 24 January 1962
| Thor-Able-Star<ref name="skyrocket-surcal1"/>
| 98.5 kg<ref>{{cite web |title=NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=SURC1 |website=nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930140844/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=SURC1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Launch failure
|-
| SURCAL 2{{efn|Also listed as SURCAL 1A<ref name="nssdca-surcal2">{{cite web |title=NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1962-067D |website=nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008175504/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1962-067D |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| 1962 B Tau 4
| 13 December 1962
| Thor-Agena-D<ref name="skyrocket-surcal2345"/>
| 37 kg<ref name="nssdca-surcal2"/>
| 18 Jan 1966
|-
| SURCAL 3{{efn|Also listed as SURCAL 1B<ref name="astronautix"/>}}
| 1962-021F
| 15 June 1963
| Thor-Agena-D<ref name="skyrocket-surcal2345">{{cite web |last1=Krebs |first1=Gunter D. |title=Surcal 2, 3, 4, 5 |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/surcal-2.htm |website=Gunter's Space Page |access-date=8 October 2021 |language=en |archive-date=8 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808160419/https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/surcal-2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 3 kg<ref>{{cite web |title=NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1963-021F |website=nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov |access-date=2021-10-08 |archive-date=2021-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008175505/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1963-021F |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 5 Jul 1963
|-
| SURCAL 4{{efn|Also listed as SURCAL 2B<ref name="astronautix"/>}}
| 1965-016G
| 9 March 1965
| Thor-Agena-D<ref name="skyrocket-surcal2345"/>
| 5 kg<ref>{{cite web |title=NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1965-016G |website=nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008175515/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1965-016G |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 27 March 1981
|-
| SURCAL 5
| 1965-065K
| 9 March 1965
| Thor-Able-Star<ref name="skyrocket-surcal2345"/>
| 
| In orbit
|}
{{notelist}}

== Other vehicles ==
Astronautix includes passive satellites such as the SURCAL 150B and SURCAL 160 target objects as part of the SURCAL program.<ref name="astronautix"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Satellites of the United States]]

{{Sourceattribution|SURCAL}}