Proton 4
Proton 4 was the last in a series of spacecraft designed to study the energy spectrum and the chemical composition of cosmic rays. The spacecraft was cylindrical in form and had extended solar panels and antennas. Proton 4 also studied the possible collisions of cosmic ray particles with the nuclei of hydrogen, carbon, and iron. It was hoped that the postulated fundamental particle, the quark, might be discovered during this flight. The spacecraft was in orbit for 250 days.[1]
| Names | Proton-2 1 N-6 #1 |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1968-103A |
| SATCAT no. | 03544 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | N-6 |
| Launch mass | 17 t (19 tons) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 November 1968 |
| Rocket | Proton-K[1] |
| Launch site | Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R. |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 248 km |
| Apogee altitude | 477 km |
| Inclination | 51.55° |
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