An overview of the solar, anomalous, and magnetospheric particle explorer (SAMPEX) mission

Journal Article · Sat May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/36.225519· OSTI ID:5638784

Baker, D N ^[1]; Mason, G M ^[2]; Figueroa, O; Colon, G; Watzin, J G; Aleman, R M ^[3]

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1. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States). Lab. for Extraterrestrial Physics
2. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States). Dept. of Physics
3. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States). Engineering Directorate

The scientific objective of the NASA Small-class Explorer Mission SAMPEX are summarized. A brief history of the Small Explorer program is provided along with a description of the SAMPEX project development and structure. The spacecraft and scientific instrument configuration is presented. The orbit of SAMPEX has an altitude of 520 by 670 km and an 82[degree] inclination. Maximum possible power is provided by articulated solar arrays that point continuously toward the sun. Highly sensitive science instruments point generally toward the local zenith, especially over the terrestrial poles, in order to measure optimally the galactic and solar cosmic ray flux. Energetic magnetospheric particle precipitation is monitored at lower geomagnetic latitudes. The spacecraft uses several innovative approaches including an optical fiber bus, powerful onboard computers, and large solid state memories (instead of tape recorders). Spacecraft communication and data acquisition are discussed and the space- and ground-segment data flows are summarized. A mission lifetime of 3 years is sought with the goal of extending data acquisition over an even longer portion of the 11-year solar activity cycle.

• OSTI ID: 5638784
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 31:3; ISSN 0196-2892
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
EXPLORER SATELLITES
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
COMMUNICATIONS
DATA ACQUISITION
MONITORING
POWER SUPPLIES
SERVICE LIFE
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
LIFETIME
SATELLITES
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
661320* - Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena- (1992-)