Lincoln Calibration Sphere 1
| Names | LCS-1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | radar calibration |
| Operator | MIT Lincoln Laboratory |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-034C |
| Mission duration | 50 yrs, 10 months, 28 days (as of 28 January 2016) |
| Apogee | 2700 km |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | LCS-1 |
| Spacecraft type | Aluminium sphere |
| Manufacturer | Rohr Corp. |
| Dry mass | 34 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15:00:03, May 6, 1965 |
| Rocket | Titan IIIA |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-20 |
| Contractor | US Department of Defense |
| Deployed from | Geocentric orbit |
| Deployment date | 06 May 1965 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Active |
| Decay date | In c. 30000 years |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Medium Earth |
| Period | 145.6 minutes |
| RAAN | 1 hour 35 minutes |
The Lincoln Calibration Sphere 1, or LCS-1, is a large aluminium sphere in Earth orbit since 6 May 1965. It is the oldest spacecraft still in use, having lasted for over 50 years. It was launched along with the Lincoln Experimental Satellite-2 on a Titan IIIA. It is technically the oldest operational spacecraft, but it has no power supply or fuel; it is merely a metal sphere. It has been used for radar calibration since its launch. It was built by Rohr. Corp. for the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.[1][2]
LCS-1 is a hollow sphere 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) in diameter with a wall thickness of 3.2 mm (0.13 in).[2] The sphere was constructed from two hemispheres, made by spinning sheet metal over a mold. These hemispheres were fastened an internal, circumferential hoop by 440 countersunk screws, then milled and polished.[3]
Before being launched to orbit, the optical cross section of the LCS-1 was measured in L, S, C, X and K microwave bands. Four other spheres were also manufactured and measured for comparison to the one in orbit.[4]
References
- ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "LCS 1,2,3,4". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- 1 2 "radar calibration via satellites". National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center. Acreibo Observatory. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ↑ Prosser, Reese T. (October 1965). "The Lincoln Calibration Sphere". The Proceedings of the IEEE. 53 (10): 1672. doi:10.1109/PROC.1965.4319.
- ↑ Burrows, M.L. "The Quality of the Lincoln Calibration Sphere" (PDF). dtic.mil. Defense Technical information Center. Retrieved 22 April 2016.