The Gravity Gradient Test Satellite was launched by the US Air Force from Cape Canaveral LC41 aboard a Titan IIIC rocket on June 16, 1966, at 14:00:01 UTC.[3] The satellite was launched along with seven IDCSP satellites, with which it shared a bus.[4] In contrast to the solar-powered IDCSP satellites, GGTS was battery powered.[4]
GGTS utilized the 26.4-pound (12.0 kg) Magnetically Anchored Gravity Systems (MACS), which consisted of two identical subsystem packages, each containing an extensible rod unit and a magnetically anchored spherical viscous damper.[5] The rod units had an extended length of 15.8 meters (52 ft),[5] and their 5-kilogram (11 lb) damper tip weights gave the satellite a symmetric dumbbell configuration.[5] The dampers were produced by General Electric and consisted of two concentric spheres separated by a viscous damping fluid.[5] The internal sphere contained a hollow cylindrical magnet which served to "anchor' the inner sphere to the Earth's magnetic field,[5] stabilizing the satellite over time.[4]
It had been hoped that within 60 days of launch, the satellite would reach a stabilization of ±8° on the x- and y-axis.[4] The results were compromised, as one of the dampers was magnetically contaminated.[4]
A follow-up GGTS mission was lost due to a launch vehicle failure on August 28, 1966.[4]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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