Transit-2

Transit 2A [USNavy]

The two Transit program objectives were

to develop and demonstrate equipment to provide a reliable means of fixing the position of surface craft, submarines, and aircraft--anywhere and in any weather--more precisely, and
to provide more accurate maritime and aerial navigation in any weather than currently available.

The Transit 2A spacecraft had as its instrument complement the following: cosmic-noise radiometer, transmitters, infrared scanner to measure satellite rotation before despin was initiated, and temperature sensors. The power supply was a nickel-cadmium battery, recharged by solar cells. The transmitters operated at the following frequencies: 54, 162, 216, and 324 MHz.

Additional scientific payloads were:

Infrared Scanner
Cosmic Noise Receiver
Ionospheric Beacon

Nation:	USA
Type / Application:	Navigation
Operator:	USN
Contractors:	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
Equipment:	?
Configuration:	Sphere
Propulsion:	None
Lifetime:
Mass:	101 kg
Orbit:	628 km x 1047 km, 66.69°

Satellite	Date	LS		Launcher	Remarks:
Transit 2A	22.06.1960	CC LC-17B		Thor-DM21 Able-Star	with Solrad 1
Transit 2B	not launched

Further Transit missions: