National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationScout D-1Launch Area 3A, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
Explorer 46
Launched
August 13, 1972
Image: NASA
Summary
Explorer 46 launched on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scout D-1 from Launch Area 3A, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA on August 13, 1972. It was National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 116th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 1,373rd orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Scout D-1 flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Explorer 46, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 505 × 817 km orbit inclined 37.7°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Astrophysics · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 1st Scout D-1 flightNational Aeronautics and Space Administration's 116th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 1,373rd orbital launch attempt67th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Explorer 46 · NORAD 6142 · 1972-061 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- EXPLORER 46 (MTS)
- Object ID
- 1972-061A
- Epoch
- 1972-08-13 21:20:45 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.72217467 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.022214
- Inclination
- 37.6872°
- Ascending node
- 22.0878°
- Arg. of perigee
- 104.5284°
- Mean anomaly
- 258.0179°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 4
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 2 components; none still in orbit
- Explorer 46 · NORAD 6142 · re-entered November 2, 1979
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Satellite dedicated to meteroid research
Pad
Launch Area 3A, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
14th launch from Launch Area 3A, 1st this year · 43rd from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
18 launches from this pad · 87 from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
327 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USAOpen in maps
Questions
When did Explorer 46 launch?
Explorer 46 launched on August 13, 1972. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Explorer 46?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Explorer 46?
Scout D-1, flown by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Scout D-1 spec sheet
Where did Explorer 46 launch from?
Launch Area 3A, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.
What orbit did Explorer 46 reach?
Explorer 46, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 505 × 817 km orbit inclined 37.7°.
How many satellites did Explorer 46 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).