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Equatorial thermospheric composition and its variationsThe neutral atmospheric composition experiment on the San Marco - 3 satellite has measured the composition of the equatorial atmosphere from 29 April to 29 November 1971. Preliminary results on the diurnal variation of atmospheric composition from 19 May to 30 June at 225 km. altitude are presented. The diurnal variation of helium is seen to reach its maximum near 0800 hours and its minimum in the late afternoon in contrast to the behavior of molecular nitrogen and argon. The atomic oxygen densities show smaller variations than the other gases. The mass densities calculated from the composition data agree well with those determined from the in situ drag force measurements and from orbital decay measurements.
Document ID
19720021778
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Newton, G. P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Pelz, D. T.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kasprzak, W. T.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 2, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1972
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
X-621-72-266
NASA-TM-X-65981
Report Number: X-621-72-266
Report Number: NASA-TM-X-65981
Meeting Information
Meeting: COSPAR Meeting
Location: Madrid
Country: Spain
Start Date: May 22, 1972
Accession Number
72N29428
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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