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Article: First ozone probe; the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, to be launched in 1989, will study natural and man-made effects on the ozone layer.
- Article from:
- Popular Science
- Article date:
- September 1, 1985
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1985 Bonnier Corporation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Shafts of starlight wink an instrumented eye as the shuttle moves into position. Its bay doors open. Silently, effortlessly, a single mechanical arm lifts the five-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite up and out of the hold. In moments the bird is free and begins to unfold its solar wing to power instruments that, for three years, will observe the ozone layer from a circular orbit 373 miles above Earth. The launch is a success. But it's only a preview of the real thing.
Researchers at General Electric's Valley Forge Space Center have dispatched the satellite many times--via computer simulation. The satellite, dubbed UARS for short, is unique in two ways: ...