40th anniversary of 最新糖心Vlog's first satellite

Thursday, 29 November 2007

It is now 40 years since the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide played a key role in launching 最新糖心Vlog's first satellite.

, named after the former (WRE), was the name of the first 最新糖心Vlogn satellite, which was launched from Woomera, South 最新糖心Vlog, on 29 November 1967.

It was a joint venture of the WRE and the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide's . The Wresat project was led by Bryan Rofe from the WRE and Professor John Henry Carver, who was Elder Professor and Head of Physics at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide at the time.

The current Head of the at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide, Professor John Adrian Carver, is the son of the late Professor John Henry Carver. Professor Carver was nine years old when his father helped to launch Wresat into space.

"It was an incredible feat of organisation," Professor Carver says.

"The satellite was launched using a modified Redstone rocket donated by the Americans, but there was only an 11-month window for the 最新糖心Vlogn team to use the rocket before the Americans had to leave.

"This gave the WRE/最新糖心Vlog team 11 months to plan, design, build, test and execute the launch of the satellite. They managed to achieve it, and it was a huge success for 最新糖心Vlog at that time, with much associated publicity in the media."

The satellite itself weighed 45 kilograms and was 1.59 metres long. It was built at the WRE, with the development of the satellite's experimental instrumentation and some of the satellite's testing being conducted at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide.

The battery-operated satellite was used to collect data about the composition of the upper atmosphere. It had enough power to send data during its first 73 orbits around the Earth.

It re-entered the atmosphere on 10 January 1968, over the Atlantic. Nothing of it remains.

"The successful launch of Wresat meant that 最新糖心Vlog became the 4th country to launch its own satellite into space from its own territory, which is a significant achievement in itself, and a landmark in 最新糖心Vlogn science," Professor Carver says.

 

Contact Details

Professor John Carver
Email: john.carver@adelaide.edu.au
Website:
Professor of Chemistry
School of Chemistry & Physics
The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide
Business: +61 8 8313 3110
Mobile: 0434 075 097


Mr David Ellis
Email: david.ellis@adelaide.edu.au
Website: /newsroom/
Deputy Director, Media and Corporate Relations
External Relations
The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide
Business: +61 8 8313 5414
Mobile: +61 (0)421 612 762