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Ariel 5 (Ariel V) X-ray observatory spacecraft

Ariel 5 was a British-USA X-ray observatory launched in 1974 into a low-inclination low Earth orbit. It monitored the X-ray sky, discovered long-period X-ray pulsars and transients, and operated until its atmospheric re-entry in March 1980.

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Identity

Aliases
Ariel 5Ariel VUK-5
Family Name
Ariel 5
Full Name
Ariel 5 (Ariel V) X-ray observatory spacecraft
Roles
orbiterobservatoryresearch
Status
retired
Type
spacecraft

Details

Description
Ariel 5 was a British-USA X-ray observatory launched in 1974 into a low-inclination low Earth orbit. It monitored the X-ray sky, discovered long-period X-ray pulsars and transients, and operated until its atmospheric re-entry in March 1980.
First Flight Year
1,974
Last Flight Year
1,980
Operator
Programs
-

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Creation Time
August 1, 2026 at 17:14:59 UTC
Updated Time
August 13, 2026 at 23:12:02 UTC