Explorer 46 Meteoroid Technology Satellite-A Spacecraft Family
Explorer 46, also known as the Meteoroid Technology Satellite or MTS-A, was a NASA Langley technology satellite launched on August 13, 1972. Its deployable and inflatable meteoroid-bumper panels tested orbital shielding concepts and recorded hypervelocity impacts and the near-Earth meteoroid/debris environment in a 490–815 km orbit.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Explorer 46Explorer XLVIMeteoroid Technology SatelliteMTSMTS-A1972 060AExplorer 46 spacecraft
- Family Name
- Explorer 46
- Full Name
- Explorer 46 Meteoroid Technology Satellite-A Spacecraft Family
- Roles
- orbiterresearchtechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- retired
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Explorer 46, also known as the Meteoroid Technology Satellite or MTS-A, was a NASA Langley technology satellite launched on August 13, 1972. Its deployable and inflatable meteoroid-bumper panels tested orbital shielding concepts and recorded hypervelocity impacts and the near-Earth meteoroid/debris environment in a 490–815 km orbit.
- First Flight Year
- 1,972
- Last Flight Year
- 1,979
- Operator
Links
- Official Url
- https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19740003572
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 08:03:14 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 15, 2026 at 09:29:40 UTC