Ariel
Abstract
Series of six UK-led scientific satellites launched 1962-79. The first four studied the ionosphere, while the last two were x-ray astronomy satellites. Ariel 3 was the first all-British satellite. The UK-US Ariel 5, launched in October 1974, operated for more than five years and discovered dozens of new x-ray sources, including a number of transient sources such as Cygnus X-1. Ariel 6 suffered te...
- Publication:
-
Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- November 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1888/0333750888/4522
- Bibcode:
- 2000eaa..bookE4522.
- Keywords:
-
- Space Missions;
- Astrophysical Missions