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APL

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AKA: JHU-Applied Physics Lab. Location: Laurel, Maryland.

• Chemical release / ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 167 km (103 mi). Launched 12:40 local time. Reached 161.9 km. Carried cosmic radiation, ionosphere (Naval Research Lab); and biological (Harvard) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Solar ultraviolet / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi).

  Launched 12:18 local time. Reached 104.8 km. Carried cosmic and soalr radiaiton, winds, photography experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University. The John Hopkins camera took motion pictures of the earth at over 100 km altitude (pictures covered 100,000 square km.)

• CR / Grenades Chemical release / meteor test - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 187 km (116 mi). Launched 22:18 local time. Reached 183.9 km. Carried cosmic radiation, meteorites; biological (National Institute of Health) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Solar ultraviolet / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 129 km (80 mi). Launched 13:10 local time. Reached 129.5 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Solar ultraviolet / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 103 km (64 mi). Launched 17:13 local time. Reached 102.4 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Chemical release / solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 159 km (98 mi). Launched 05:55 local time. Reached 161.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Dummy launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment..

• Dummy launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment..

• Dummy launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment..

• Particles Chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 56 km (34 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment. First complete Aerobee rocket was fired to a height of 190,000 feet from White Sands Proving Ground, N. Mex..

• Particles Chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 118 km (73 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 1020 local time. Reached 117.5 km..

• B field Magnetosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi). Magnetic field research. Launched at 1551 local time. Reached 114.3 km..

• Solar ultraviolet / chemical release mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). Launched 07:16 local time. Reached 140 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo, composition (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan) experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Earth imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 113 km (70 mi).

  Photography research. Launched at 1441 local time. Reached 112.7 km. Two separate rockets fired from White Sands, one a V-2 which reached an altitude of 87 km, the other a Navy Aerobee which reached an altitude of 112.7 km, carried cameras which photographed the curvature of the earth.

• Chemical release / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 97 km (60 mi).

  Launched 11:03 local time. Reached 87.1 km. Carried cosmic radiation, photo, pressure, temperature experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University. Fired from White Sands simultaneous with a Navy Aerobee which reached an altitude of 110 km. Both carried cameras which photographed the curvature of the earth.

• CR / Solar Particles / solar x-ray mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 91 km (56 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation research. Launched at 0947 local time. Reached 91 km..

• Chemical release / solar extreme ultraviolet / biology mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL, US Army. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Launched 10:00 local time. Reached 100.8 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo (Naval Research Lab); composition (Signal Corps Engineering Lab, University of Michigan); biological experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University..

• Ship launch test - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Dummy firing, no upper-air research experiment. Launched at 1715 local time..

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Cosmic radiation, magnetic field research. Reached 104.6 km. Launched from from vessel ACM1 at Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 1-1 - Latitude: 10.80 S, Longitude:89.23 W..

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Cosmic radiation, magnetic field research. Launched at 1730 GMT. Reached 104.6 km. Launched by vessel AVM1 from Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 1-2 - Latitude: 11.10 S, Longitude:88.43 W..

• Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi).

  Cosmic radiation, magnetic field research. Launched at 1514 GMT. A pressure valve defect resulted in the sustainer taking off without the booster; reached 6 km. Launched from vessel ACM1 Norton Sound at Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 1-3 - Latitude: 11.27 S, Longitude:82.13 W.

• Classified mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Classified flight. Launched at 0450 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• CR / Solar Particles / solar x-ray / aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Cosmic radiation, solar radiation research. Launched at 1621 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• Particles mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 72 km (44 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 2345 GMT. Reached 72.4 km. Launched from from vessel ACM1 at Bering Sea Launch Site 1 (APL Aerobee/Norton Sound) - Latitude: 58.00 N, Longitude:170.00 W..

• Particles mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 80 km (49 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 2317 GMT. Reached 80.5 km. Launched from from vessel ACM1 at Bering Sea Launch Site 2 (APL Aerobee/Norton Sound) - Latitude: 50.00 N, Longitude:170.00 W..

• Particles mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Cosmic radiation research. Launched at 0530 local time. Reached 88.1 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi). Composition research. Launched at 0845 local time. Reached 101.4 km..

• Mass spectrometer Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi). Composition research. Launched at 1555 local time. Reached 88.5 km..

• Ozone Aeronomy mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0800 local time. Reached 90.1 km..

• Earth photography Imaging mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: APL. Apogee: 98 km (60 mi). Photography research. Launched at 1020 local time. Reached 98.2 km..

• Flaksus-1 (Fluxus) Plasma/Active mission - . Nation: Russia. Agency: AN, APL. Apogee: 160 km (90 mi).

• Flaksus-2 Plasma/Active mission - . Nation: Russia. Agency: AN, APL. Apogee: 160 km (90 mi).

• ACE - . Payload: ACE. Mass: 785 kg (1,730 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Manufacturer: APL. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: ACE. USAF Sat Cat: 24912 . COSPAR: 1997-045A. Apogee: 128,196 km (79,657 mi). Perigee: 176 km (109 mi). Period: 86,411.37 min. Earth-Sun L1 point.

• Contour - . Payload: Discovery 6. Mass: 1,005 kg (2,215 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Cornell, NASA. Manufacturer: APL. Program: Discovery series. Class: Comet. Type: Comet probe. Spacecraft: Contour. USAF Sat Cat: 27457 . COSPAR: 2002-034A. Apogee: 108,614 km (67,489 mi). Perigee: 212 km (131 mi). Inclination: 30.60 deg. Period: 2,486.10 min.

  Launch delayed from July 1st. The latest NASA Discovery mission was successfully launched on Jul 3. The CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour) probe, built and operated by the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), began its five year mission to explore three comets, using repeated encounters with the earth to modify its orbit in order to reach each target. The first burn of the second stage completed at 0659 UTC putting the spacecraft in a 185 x 197 km x 29.7 deg parking orbit. At 0746 UTC the second stage restarted for a short 4s burn to 185 x 309 km x 29.7 deg, and then separated once the PAM-D (ATK Star 48B) solid third stage was spun up. The 1.5 minute burn of the third stage motor at 0748 UTC put it and CONTOUR in a 90 x 106689 km x 30.5 deg phasing orbit. By July 8 CONTOUR's orbit was 214 x 106686 km x 29.8 deg. CONTOUR stayed in this phasing orbit until August 15, when it was injected into solar orbit using its internal ATK Star 30 solid motor. Flyby of the first target, comet 2P/Encke, was scheduled for Nov 2003.

• Messenger - . Payload: Discovery 8. Mass: 1,066 kg (2,350 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: APL. Program: Discovery series. Class: Mercury. Type: Mercury probe. Spacecraft: Messenger. USAF Sat Cat: 28391 . COSPAR: 2004-030A. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi). Perigee: 0 km (0 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 0.00 min.

  The NASA Messenger probe to Mercury was was first placed into a parking orbit. The Delta booster second stage's second burn raised the orbit, then the PAM-D solid motor burned to put the probe on an escape trajectory into a 0.92 x 1.08 AU x 6.4 deg heliocentric orbit. Messenger (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) was to make an Earth flyby on August 1, 2005; Venus flybys in 2006 and 2007; and Mercury encounters in January and October 2008 , September 2009 and March 2011 . On this last encounter the Aerojet 660N engine was to fire to put Messenger into a 200 x 15,193 km x 80 deg orbit around Mercury. Launch delayed from March 10, May 11, August 2

• New Horizons - . Mass: 478 kg (1,053 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: JPL, NASA. Manufacturer: APL. Class: Outer planets. Type: Outer planets probe. Spacecraft: New Horizons. USAF Sat Cat: 28928 . COSPAR: 2006-001A.

  Last robotic mission to an unexplored planet in our solar system. New Horizons was due to receive a gravity boost from Jupiter in February 2007, then fly by Pluto in 2015. During launch toward Jupiter it reached a higher velocity than any manmade object, and was the first to be boosted directly to solar escape velocity. The trajectory had a perihelion of 0.98 AU, an inclination of 0.87 deg and an eccentricity of 1.03. After the Jupiter encounter it was to have a perihelion of 2.2 AU, an inclination of 2.3 deg and an eccentricity of 1.40. At encounter with Pluto on July 14, 2015, the spacecraft would be 1.1 AU above the ecliptic plane and 32.9 AU from the Sun, leaving the solar system toward the star Xi Sgr.