Dynamics Explorer 2
Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE-2 or Explorer 63) was a NASA low-altitude mission, launched on 3 August 1981. It consisted of two satellites, DE-1 and DE-2, whose purpose was to investigate the interactions between plasmas in the magnetosphere and those in the ionosphere. The two satellites were launched together into polar coplanar orbits, which allowed them to simultaneously observe the upper and lower parts of the atmosphere.
Dynamics Explorer 1 (Explorer 62) in the bottom and Dynamics Explorer 2 (Explorer 63) in the top | |
| Names | Explorer 63 Dynamics Explorer-B |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Space physics |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1981-070B |
| SATCAT no. | 12625 |
| Mission duration | 1 year (planned) 1.5 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer LXIII |
| Spacecraft type | Dynamics Explorer |
| Bus | DE |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 420 kg (930 lb) |
| Dimensions | 137 cm (54 in) in diameter and 115 cm (45 in) high |
| Power | 115 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 3 August 1981, 09:56 UTC |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta 3913 (Thor 642 / Delta 155) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-2W |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 3 August 1981 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 19 February 1983 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 309 km (192 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,012 km (629 mi) |
| Inclination | 89.99° |
| Period | 98.00 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Atmospheric Dynamics and Energetics Investigation Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) Ion Drift Meter (IDM) Langmuir Probe Instrument(LANG) Low Altitude Plasma Instrument (LAPI) Low Altitude Plasma Investigation High Angular Resolution Magnetic Field Observations (MAG-B) Magnetospheric Energy Coupling To The Atmosphere Investigation Neutral Atmosphere Composition Spectrometer (NACS) Neutral-Plasma Interactions Investigation Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) Vector Electric Field Instrument (VEFI) Wind and Temperature Spectrometer (WATS) | |
Explorer program | |
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.