# STARAD

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United States radiation-monitoring satellite

STARAD COSPAR ID 1962-058A SATCAT no. 00444 Spacecraft properties Manufacturer Air Force Cambridge Research Lab Start of mission Launch date 26 October 1962 (1962-10-26) Rocket Thor Augmented Delta-Agena D[1] End of mission Last contact 18 January 1963 Decay date 5 October 1967 (1967-10-06)

**STARAD** (STARfish RADiation) was a radiation-monitoring satellite used to track the artificial [radiation belt](/source/Radiation_belt) created by the [Starfish Prime](/source/Starfish_Prime) high-altitude nuclear test.

## Background

On 9 July 1962, decay of debris the Starfish Prime nuclear test utccreated an unexpected increase in high-energy particles in the [Earth's magnetic field](/source/Earth's_magnetic_field). Scientists were not sure how long the radiation and its effects would last. The [Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory](/source/Air_Force_Cambridge_Research_Laboratory) was asked to design and build STARAD to study the radiation.[2]

## Build and launch

The STARAD vehicle was designed and built in sixty days and was launched from [Vandenberg Air Force Base](/source/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base) on 26 October 1962.[2] It was equipped with nine radiation-measuring instruments.[3]

## Results

The STARAD data showed that the radiation from the Starfish test was decaying much slower than expected[2] and that there was little decrease in radiation after the satellite's launch. It also detected radiation from two Soviet nuclear tests conducted after its launch.[3] The satellite's spin allowed scientists to measure [Pitch angle](/source/Pitch_angle_(particle_motion)) distributions. [4]

The satellite's existence was kept secret for some time, as were the conclusions that the artificial radiation belt could last ten years or longer. The unfavorable conclusions worsened existing criticism of the Starfish test among the scientific community.[5][6]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Telemetry Details"](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1962-058A). *nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov*. Retrieved 13 July 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-afcrl_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-afcrl_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-afcrl_2-2) Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (1962). [*Report on Research at AFCRL*](https://books.google.com/books?id=QNslOA2yR_MC). Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories. pp. 46–47. Retrieved 13 July 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-astro-and-aero_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-astro-and-aero_3-1) [*Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1963: Chronology on Science, Technology, and Policy*](https://books.google.com/books?id=c0kCAAAAIAAJ). Scientific and Technical Information Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1964. Retrieved 13 July 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-lll_4-0)** West, H.I.; Buck, R.M. (1963-05-29). [THE LLL ELECTRON AND PROTON SPECTROMETER ON NASA'S ORBITING GEOPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY 5 (Final Report for Experiment 6)](https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4460586-TtMdMr/) (Report). Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. [OSTI](/source/OSTI_(identifier)) [4460586](https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4460586). Retrieved 2022-07-13.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Booda, Larry (15 April 1963). "Wiesner, Charyk ordered Starad Secrecy". Aviation Week & Space Technology. p. 26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** "Singer Urges Early Space Project Data". Aviation Week & Space Technology. 22 April 1963. p. 27.

v t e ← 1961 Orbital launches in 1962 1963 → Discoverer 37 SOLRAD 4 LOFTI 2 SECOR Injun 2 Surcal 1 Ranger 3 TIROS-4 Mercury-Atlas 6 FTV-2301 Discoverer 38 OSO-1 Samos 6 Kosmos 1 Kosmos 2 Midas 5 Westford Drag FTV-1142 Ranger 4 Kosmos 3 Solrad 4B Kosmos 4 Ariel 1 FTV-2401 FTV-1125 ANNA 1A FTV-1126 FTV-3501 Mercury-Atlas 7 (Balloon Subsatellite 1) FTV-3501 Kosmos 5 FTV-1128 Zenit-2 No.3 FTV-1127 OSCAR 2 FTV-2402 FTV-2312 TIROS-5 FTV-1129 FTV-1151 Kosmos 6 Telstar 1 FTV-2403 FTV-1130 Mariner 1 FTV-1131 Kosmos 7 FTV-1152 FTV-2404 Vostok 3 Vostok 4 Kosmos 8 FTV-2502 Venera 2MV-1 No.1 Mariner 2 FTV-1153 Venera 2MV-1 No.2 FTV-1132 Venera 2MV-2 No.1 FTV-1133 ERS-2 TIROS-6 Kosmos 9 Alouette 1 TAVE FTV-1154 Explorer 14 Mercury-Atlas 8 FTV-1134 Kosmos 10 Ranger 5 Kosmos 11 Mars 2MV-4 No.1 1MS No.2 STARAD Explorer 15 ANNA 1B Mars 1 Mars 2MV-3 No.1 FTV-1136 FTV-2405 ERS-1 FTV-1135 FTV-1155 NRL PL120 Injun 3 NRL PL121 Surcal 2 Calsphere 1 Relay 1 FTV-1136 Explorer 16 Midas 6 ERS-3 ERS-4 Transit 5A-1 Kosmos 12 Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [STARAD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STARAD) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STARAD?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.