Sphinx (satellite)

Sphinx is the designation of an American test satellite. The Sphinx satellite was the payload for the first Titan IIIE Centaur rocket. The Helios, Viking and Voyager space probes were later launched using this rocket.

Sphinx

Sphinx
Operator	NASA
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Space Plasma High Voltage Interaction Experiment
Spacecraft type	Satellite
Expedition
Began	February 11, 1974
Start of mission
Rocket	Titan IIIE Centaur

It was launched on February 11, 1974 from a Titan IIIE Centaur, however a failure in the second stage did not allow it to reach Earth orbit.[1] It was launched with the Viking Dynamic Simulator.[2]

SPHINX stood for Space Plasma High Voltage Interaction Experiment.[3] It was designed to test high-voltage equipment in outer space.[4]

References

1. "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
2. "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
3. "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
4. "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved February 14, 2017.

See also

• 1974 in spaceflight

External links

• Entry at Gunter's Space Page
• Entry at Encyclopedia Astronautica