Ariel VI was used for astronomical research and provided data until February 1982.

[2] The spacecraft was manufactured by the Marconi Company,[3] and had a mass of 154.5 kilograms (341 lb).

The 480-millimetre (19 in) diameter acrylic-lined aluminum sphere was filled with a gaseous oxygen, nitrogen, and helium mixture.

The amplitude of the signal was used to determine the atomic number of the cosmic ray.

[1] Interference from radar signals prevented the satellite from pointing correctly, and affected the data that it returned.