Name: Solrad 8 — Scout X-4
Start: 1965-11-19T04:48:27Z
End: 1965-11-19T04:48:27Z
Location: Launch Area 3A

Question 1

What rocket is launching Solrad 8?

Accepted Answer

Solrad 8 is launching on the Scout X-4.

Question 2

Who is launching Solrad 8?

Accepted Answer

Solrad 8 is being launched by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a government launch provider founded in 1958.

Question 3

Where is Solrad 8 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Solrad 8 is launching from Launch Area 3A at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Solrad 8 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Solrad 8 is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Scout X-4 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Scout X-4 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Scout X-4 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Scout X-4 has launched 12 times to date, with 11 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Solrad 8 mission?

Accepted Answer

The NRL Solrad 8 satellite was one of the Solrad series that began in 1960 to provide continuous coverage of solar radiation with a set of standard photometers.

Question 8

Where is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility?

Accepted Answer

Wallops Flight Facility is NASA's own launch range on Virginia's Eastern Shore, operating since 1945 and managed through Goddard Space Flight Center. It also hosts the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Question 9

What launches from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

Wallops flies NASA's long-running sounding-rocket programme alongside orbital launches: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo missions to the ISS on the Antares rocket from Pad 0A, Minotaur vehicles from Pad 0B, and Rocket Lab's Electron from Launch Complex 2.

Question 10

Can you watch a launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center is the designated public viewing area and posts information for each flight. Nearby Chincoteague and the Assateague seashore also give open-horizon views across the water.

Question 11

What was the first orbital launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The first orbital launch from Wallops was TacSat-2, on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur in December 2006. Wallops later launched LADEE, the first deep-space mission to fly from Virginia, in 2013.

Solrad 8

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Area 3A

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Frequently asked questions