This
satellite is Explorer-17, a.k.a Atmospheric Explorer-A or S-6.It
weighed 185 kg. It was launched on a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral on
3 April 1963. It entered an orbit at 57.6 degrees inclination and altitudes
255-917 km. The initial period was 96.4 minutes and decayed from orbit
on 24 November 1966.
Expert satellite spotters were: Jos Heyman, Geoff Richards, Steven S. Pietrobon, Gunter Krebs, Gert Meinl
Other proposed satellites were:
