Talk:Uhuru (satellite)

Latest comment: 1 year ago by PlanetCare in topic Mission names

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Is this satellite still in orbit? DarthVader 08:14, 23 July 2006 (UTC)Reply

No. PlanetCare (talk) 17:15, 3 July 2023 (UTC)Reply

Mission names

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An editor recently changed "SAS 1" to "SAS A". It was and is common practice for NASA to change the names of missions when they are successfully launched. (Other examples: OSO H -> OSO 7; HEAO A -> HEAO 1; HEAO C -> HEAO 3; LST -> Hubble Space Telescope; SIRTF -> Spitzer Space Telescope, etc.) This was done with all three Small Astronomy Satellites, although SAS 1 is much more commonly known as "Uhuru" than either SAS 1 or Explorer 43. (These series names are often hypehnated, eg SAS-1. In the missions I know personally, OSO 7, HEAO 1 and HEAO 3, we have tended to standardize on the unhyphenated form, but both are common.) It is reasonable to note common alternate names as a clarification, but the earlier, less-common names should not be perpetuated needlessly. Thanks Wwheaton (talk) 21:10, 4 November 2009 (UTC)Reply

The theory that the mission was renamed after launch is not borne out by the references, which tend to indiscriminately use either designation. The only name change I can see is that to "Uhuru". We certainly can list both,but I don't see a good reason to pick one or the other. Mangoe (talk) 02:56, 5 November 2009 (UTC)Reply
I think you meant 42. "NASA Explorer 42" PlanetCare (talk) 17:40, 3 July 2023 (UTC)Reply