Vera satellite is a series of American nuclear explosion detection satellites. 1963 10 turn 1970 April * * launch 12. The mission of Vera satellite is to detect nuclear explosions in the atmosphere and outer space. After the launch of this satellite series stopped, its mission was changed to 647 early warning satellite. Villa satellites are launched in pairs. The satellite weighs 136 ~ 260 kg, adopts near-circular orbit, with an altitude of 9120,000 km, an inclination of 32 ~ 40, a period of 85 ~12 hours and a working life of about 1.5 ~ 5 years.

Villa satellite is equipped with various detection instruments, including:

(1)X-ray detector: It is a bell-shaped fluorite sensitive element, which is installed at the triangle vertex on the satellite surface. It can detect X-ray radiation of 10,000 tons equivalent nuclear explosion in the distance of 65,438+600 million kilometers, and the fluorite sheet is excited by it to generate visible light pulses less than 1 microsecond, which are converted into electric pulses by photomultiplier tubes and then transmitted. In order to prevent solar X-rays from being excited on the fluorite sheet, the fluorite sheet is covered with beryllium metal sheet.

(2) Gamma-ray detector: Its sensitive element is a fluorite sheet with a diameter of 8 cm and a length of 5 cm, which is installed under the skin of the satellite. When it is excited by gamma rays within 80 million kilometers, it produces optical pulses, which are converted into electrical pulses by photomultiplier tubes and transmitted.

(3) Neutron detector: installed inside the satellite, using boron trifluoride counter as neutron counter, the detection distance can reach 6.5438+0.2 million kilometers.

(4) Visible light sensor: used to detect the fireball of nuclear explosion.

(5) Electromagnetic pulse sensor: used to detect electromagnetic pulse generated by nuclear explosion.