Source see also the page On Possible Electric Phenomena in Solar Systems and Nebulae By Kristian Birkeland extracted from The Norwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition 1902-1903 (Book)
Wikipedia's Birkeland current; History says
Proof of Birkeland's theory of the aurora only came after a probe was sent into space. The crucial results were obtained from U.S. Navy satellite 1963-38C, launched in 1963 and carrying a magnetometer above the ionosphere. In 1966 Alfred Zmuda, J.H. Martin, and F.T.Heuring 16 analysed the satellite magnetometer results and reported their findings of magnetic disturbance in the aurora.
Everywhere I look this spacecraft is called only satellite 1963-38C!
- "Satellite 1963 38C" Amazon E-book: Satellite 1963 38C Semiannual report, period ending Sep. 30, 1965 Kindle Edition:
- "polar orbiting satellite 1963 38C" old papers, Nightside Magnetosphere Configuration as Obtained from Trapped Electrons at 1100 Kilometers
- "polar orbiting satellite 1963 38C" old reports: "Technical Memorandum JHAPL Radiation Damage to Orbiting Solar Cells and Transistors"
- "magnetically oriented satellite 1963 38C" Transverse magnetic disturbances at 1100 kilometers in the auroral region:
- "1963 38C" NASA TM-X-63121: Observations of trapped electrons at low and high altitudes by 1963 38C satellite and Explorer 26 satellite
I only found one thing that suggests the name for it. In the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory 1968 report Summary of APL Satellites Volume 7, No. 4., there is gantt-chart-like Figure 2 which includes
1968-38B 5BN-1
1968-38C 5E-1
which I assume are APL internal codes for the spacecraft.
Fig. 2 - Operational Status History of the 36 Satellites Fabricated at APL.
Question: What is your name? What is your quest? What is the story behind Satellite 1963-38C? Did the spacecraft have a people-friendly name? Or a project codename that's since been declassified? Did it have a stated mission goal at the time?