Latest rocket measurements of the solar constant

Three rocket flights which carried a payload of absolute radiometers to measure the solar constant with an accuracy of plus or minus 0.5 per cent have been accomplished. Several of the rocket radiometers were duplicates of those aboard the Solar Maximum Mission and Nimbus spacecrafts. The values for the solar constant obtained by the rocket sensors for the three flight dates indicate an increase between the first and latter two flights approximately equivalent to the uncertainty of the measurements. The values for the solar constant for the three flights are 1367, 1372 and 1374 W/sq m.