AZUR was the first co-operative project between USA and Germany. The scientific objectives of this mission were to study the inner radiation belt, the auroral zones of the Northern Hemisphere, and the spectral variations of solar particles during solar flares. The total weight was approx. 70 kg. GSOC was responsible for mission execution and network operations. The satellite was lost unexpectedly approximately half a year into the mission due to loss of telemetry.
With the launch of the first German research satellite AZUR on 8 November 1969 at 2.52 a.m. CET, Germany joined the ranks of countries that already had satellites: Soviet Union, USA, Great Britain, Italy, France, Canada, Japan and Australia. AZUR weighed 71 kilograms and was launched with a Scout rocket from Vandenberg (California). Satellite operations were taken over on 15 November 1969 by the German Space Operations Centre (GSOC), which was set up especially for this purpose in Oberpfaffenhofen.
The research satellite was used to study cosmic radiation and its interaction with the magnetosphere, specifically the inner Van Allen belt, auroral research and the temporal changes in solar particle flows (solar wind) during solar flares. The scientific community was already very interested at the time: over 100 experiments were proposed, seven of which were selected for the flight. The intention was also to expand the technological capabilities of German industry and gain expertise in the complex management of space missions through German-American cooperation. Although the satellite did not reach its expected lifespan of at least one year - on 29 June 1970 the connection to AZUR broke off for unexplained reasons - politics, research and industry considered the first German long-term mission in space to be a great success.
