MSX

Launch data: Designation 23851 / 96024A Launch date 24 Apr 1996 Launch site  Va, SLC-2W Launch vehicle  Delta-7920-10 (#D235) Operator Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) Mission   Earth orbit: Perigee/Apogee 896/906 km Inclination 99° Period   Mass at launch 2600 kg

Mission details:

The prime objective of the MSX satellite was to test methods to detect, track and discriminate missiles during mid-course stages of their flight against terrestrial Earth limb and celestial backgrounds. MSX will also perform civilian scientific research, with atmospheric observations and astronomical studies. It will provide data on small debris in space. The satellite had a mass of 2680 kg and the instruments were:

• the Space Infrared Imaging Telescope (Spirit), a cryogenic cooled infrared sensor which discriminated between thermal objects, detected cold targets, measured Earth limb clutter and determined the composition of the Earth's atmosphere
• the Ultraviolet Visible Imagers and Spectrographic Imagers (UVISI), a group of nine imagers operating in the ultraviolet and visible bands to collect data on missiles in all phases of their flight and collect auroral and polar magnetospheric data
• the Space Based Visible (SBV) instrument, a telescope which was coupled to a CCD camera for deep space surveillance and asteroid tracking
• the On board Signal and Data Processor, an experiment to test the radiation hardening of such an instrument
• the Contamination Instrumentation Complement (CIC) experiment, to determine contamination of the telescope mirrors by water vapor and materials outgassed by the spacecraft

As part of the scientific programme the satellite tracked missiles fired from the Kauai Test Facility and Vandenberg. It also tracked Cosmos-1278, Cosmos-2227 and a Titan transtage. It has been reported that on 24 August 1996 and 12 September 1996 two small calibration satellites were released, however, it does not appear these have been catalogued.

The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) programme also involved various Space Shuttle flights, commencing with STS-63. After the programme was completed, in 1998, the satellite was used to locate 'missing' satellites for NORAD.

Payload