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Ionospheric CONnection explorer

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General

Designation	44628 / 19068A
Launch date	11 Oct 2019
Country of origin	United States
Mission	Scientific: ionosphere study
Perigee/Apogee	587/613 km
Inclination	27°
Period	96.5 min
Launch vehicle	Pegasus #45

Launch initially planned in 2017. Ordered by NASA (Explorer series), mission led by University of California.
Contract for OSC worth $50 million

The mission of the ICON satellite is to study the interface between the upper reaches of the Earth's atmosphere and outer space in response to a recent scientific discovery that the ionosphere, positioned at the edge of space where the Sun ionises the air to create charged particles, is significantly influenced by storms in the lower atmosphere. ICON will also help NASA better understand how atmospheric winds control ionospheric variability.

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Technical data

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Specifications

Prime contractor	OSC
Platform	Leostar-2
Mass at launch	272 kg
Dry mass
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime

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