Episode 873
SOLRAD 2
Wed, 2019-Sep-25 01:36 UTC
Length - 1:39
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Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of the featured Wikipedia article every day.
The featured article for Wednesday, 25 September 2019 is SOLRAD 2.
SOLRAD (SOLar RADiation) 2 was the public designation for a combination surveillance and solar X-Ray and ultraviolet scientific satellite, the second in the SOLRAD program developed by the United States Navy's Naval Research Laboratory. The SOLRAD scientific package aboard the satellite provided cover for the GRAB (Galactic Radiation and Background) electronic surveillance package, the mission of which was to map the Soviet Union's air defense radar network.
SOLRAD 2 was launched along with Transit 3A atop a Thor DM-21 Ablestar rocket on November 30, 1960, but both satellites failed to reach orbit when the booster flew off course and was destroyed, raining debris over Cuba, which instigated official protests from the Cuban government. As a result, future SOLRAD flights were programmed to avoid a Cuban flyover during launch.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:36 UTC on Wednesday, 25 September 2019.
For the full current version of the article, see SOLRAD 2 on Wikipedia.
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This has been Matthew. Thank you for listening to featured Wiki of the Day.
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