Ariel 3

Also called UK-3

Designation:	02773 / 67042A
Launch date:	5 May 1967 - 16:00 UT
Launch site:	Va, SLC5
Launch vehicle:	Scout A (#S155C)
Mission:	Scientific: ionosphere and high atmosphere study
Earth orbit:
Perigee/Apogee	497/608 km
Inclination	80.17°
Period	95.6 min
Decay:	14 Dec 1970

First satellite, with both the structure and instruments, entirely build in the UK
Solar cells, by Ferranti, were on both the panels and the cylindrical body and numbered 7008.
Transmission was on 136.56 Mhz for the five experiments - electron density and temperature, cosmic ray intensity, very low frequency radiations, galactic radio noise, molecular oxygen detector, terrestrial radio noise. The tape recorder of a continuous loop type was provided by AWRE Aldermaston, who were also involved in the data processing.
The ground stations were RSRS, Slough, Singapore and Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. Data was received for over two years.

Specifications:

Prime contractor	BAC Filton/Stevenage (satellite body) GEC Portsmouth (instruments)
Platform
Mass at launch	kg
Dry Mass	89.8 kg
Dimension	height: 1.52m, diameter: 0.76m, while span over the solar panels was 2.13m
Basic shape
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power

Ref.: #7, #15, #102(SL19) - update: 8.01.06