Name: Ariel 2 — Scout X-3
Start: 1964-03-27T17:25:23Z
End: 1964-03-27T17:25:23Z
Location: Launch Area 3

Question 1

What rocket is launching Ariel 2?

Accepted Answer

Ariel 2 is launching on the Scout X-3.

Question 2

Who is launching Ariel 2?

Accepted Answer

Ariel 2 is being launched by Science and Engineering Research Council, a government launch provider founded in 1965.

Question 3

Where is Ariel 2 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Ariel 2 is launching from Launch Area 3 at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Ariel 2 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Ariel 2 is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Scout X-3 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Scout X-3 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Scout X-3 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Scout X-3 has launched 5 times to date, with 4 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Ariel 2 mission?

Accepted Answer

Ariel is a series of British research satellites. Ariel 2 was designed to carry out radio astronomy experiments and was used to measure galactic radio noise.

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.

Ariel 2

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Area 3

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Frequently asked questions