Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission
The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission is a NASA robotic space mission to study the Earth's magnetosphere, using four identical spacecraft flying in a tetrahedral formation. The spacecraft were launched on 13 March 2015 at 02:44 UTC. The mission is designed to gather information about the microphysics of magnetic reconnection, energetic particle acceleration, and turbulence — processes that occur in many astrophysical plasmas. As of March 2020, the MMS spacecraft have enough fuel to remain operational until 2040.
Artist depiction of MMS spacecraft | |
| Names | MMS |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Magnetosphere research |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2015-011A, 2015-011B, 2015-011C, 2015-011D |
| SATCAT no. | 40482, 40483, 40484, 40485 |
| Website | MMS |
| Mission duration | Planned: 2 years Elapsed: 8 years, 10 months, 28 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) |
| Dimensions | Stowed: 3.5 × 1.2 m (11.5 × 3.9 ft) Deployed: 112 × 29 m (367 × 95 ft) |
| Power | 318 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 13 March 2015, 02:44 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 421 (AV-053) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| Entered service | September 2015 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 2040 (planned) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Highly elliptical orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 2,550 km (1,580 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | Day phase: 70,080 km (43,550 mi) Night phase: 152,900 km (95,000 mi) |
| Inclination | 28.0° |
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