The Earth Viewing Module of Applications Satellite Technology 6 (ATS-6) housed three separate sections of equipment in support of spacecraft operations. The module's "bottom" contained experiments and antennas which required a continuous view of the Earth for communications. Three-axis stabilization ensured that the module always pointed in this direction. The middle section of the spacecraft contained house-keeping systems--attitude control, propulsion, telemetry, and power. The upper portion consisted of communications equipment, principally transponders and antenna feeds designed to work in concert with the thirty-foot antenna located above.
This artifact is a back-up spacecraft structure, partially outfitted with equipment and instrumentation. NASA transferred it to the Museum in 1978.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.