Navigational Satellite, Transit 5-A
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Manufacturer
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Summary
- Beginning in the 1960s, the United States Navy began developing a communications and navigation satellite program to meet the needs of ships at sea and submarines. One result of this program was the Transit satellite series, designed and built to Navy specifications by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.
- Submarines received radio signals from a Transit satellite, whose orbit was known to great accuracy, as it passed overhead. The change in frequency of the signal due to the Doppler effect told the submarine that the satellite was directly overhead. The submarine commander could establish a position without having to surface and take reading on stars--the traditional method of navigation, but a risky one for a submarine.
- The Transit V-A satellite is an operational backup to the Transit series and was donated to NASM by the JHU Applied Physics Lab in late 1984.
- Credit Line
- Gift of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Inventory Number
- A19850001000
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Type
- SPACECRAFT-Uncrewed-Test Vehicles
- Materials
- Aluminum, Paint, Magnesium, Copper, Steel, Adhesive, Gold Plating, Phenolic Resin, Nylon, Plastic, Cadmium Plating, Composite, Synthetic Fabric
- Dimensions
- 3-D: 61 x 45.7cm, 34kg (24 x 18 in., 75lb.)
- 3-D (Solar Paddle): 182.9 x 45.7 x 2.5cm (72 x 18 x 1 in.)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Air and Space Museum Collection
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19850001000
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv991b18449-f582-460c-b7d6-4783b637cd44
Related Content
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.