LCS satellite [Lincoln Laboratory]
Official name TITAN 3C TRANSTAGE DEB
Alternative name Titan IIIC debris (Transtage 4) - LCS 2
Cospar ID 1965-082B
Norad ID 1640
Launch date 1965-10-15
Launch site AFETR
Launch vehicle Titan-3C
Country/Organization USA
Type application Radar Calibration
Operator MIT Lincoln Laboratory
RCS size MEDIUM
Decay date 1982-08-25
Shape Sphere
Mass (kg) 34
Height (m) 1.1
Width (m) 1.1
Depth (m) 1.1
Span (m^2) 1.1
Lifetime ~ 30000 years (#1); ~75 years (#4)
Contractors Rohr Corp.
Equipment None
Propulsion None
Configuration Sphere
Power None

LCS (Lincoln Calibration Sphere) were hollow metal spheres with a precisely defined radar cross-section to calibrate ground based radars.

The satellites were manufactured at Rohr Corp., Chula Vista, California, for the Lincoln Laboratory. They consisted of a 1.12 m diameter hollow Aluminium sphere with a optical unit cross section of 1 m² and a wall thickness of 3.2 mm.

LCS 1 was successfully launched on a Titan-3A on 6th May 1965. It was deployed in a circular orbit of about 2700 km height and a life time of about 30000 years.

The second satellite, LCS 2, was lost on 15th October 1965, when the Transtage upper stage of the Titan-3C launch vehicle exploded in low earth orbit, before it could be deployed in a 735 km circular orbit.

LCS 3 also was lost in a launch failure on 16th August 1968, when the payload fairing of the Atlas-SLV3 Burner-2 collapsed.

LCS 4 was successfully orbited on 7th August 1971 on an Atlas-F OV1 launch vehicle. This satellite is in a low earth orbit with a life time of about 75 years.

The LCS 1 and LCS 4 satellites are still being used for radar calibration measurements.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
LCS 1 1965-034C 1965-05-06 AFETR Titan-3A [Star-13A] with LES 2
TITAN 3C TRANSTAGE DEB 1965-082B 1965-10-15 AFETR Titan-3C with OV2 1
RIGIDSPHERE 2 (LCS 4) 1971-067E 1971-08-07 AFWTR Atlas-F OV1 [Star-13A] with OV1 20, LOADS 2 and OV1 21, RTDS, Gridsphere 1, Gridsphere 2, Mylar Balloon, Rigidsphere