The Radio Astronomy Explorer Satellite, a Low‐Frequency Observatory

Abstract

The Radio Astronomy Explorer satellite (RAE‐1) is the first spacecraft designed exclusively for radio astronomical studies. It is a small, but relatively complex, observatory including two 229‐meter antennas, several radiometer systems covering a frequency range of 0.2 to 9.2 MHz, and a variety of supporting experiments such as antenna impedance probes and TV cameras to monitor antenna shape. Since its launch in July, 1968, RAE‐1 has sent back some 10 10 data bits per year on measurements of long‐wavelength radio phenomena in the magnetosphere, the solar corona, and the galaxy. In this paper we describe the design, calibration, and performance of the RAE‐1 experiments in detail.