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Clip description
In this clip the WRESAT Project is outlined, construction of the cone is shown, and a range of experiments carried out to test the satellite’s structural design are detailed.
Curator’s notes
The battery-powered WRESAT weighed about 45 kilograms and was designed in the form of a cone. Three cones (two test and one actual) were constructed in the development phase, and a range of tests were carried out to ensure the satellite’s durability. As well as the durability tests, the final experiment shown in this clip tests the ejection of the protective plate covering the instrumentation during flight. In the early days of rocket and satellite work, countless experiments were lost due to the failure of covers to eject.
