Polar
Launched under the MELVS contract (Medium Expendable Launch Vehicle Services,
between NASA and McDonnell Douglas)
Polar is one of two spacecraft in NASA's Global Geospace Science (GGS) mission,
which is part of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics program. Polar and
a sister spacecraft,
Wind 1,
will perform simultaneous, coordinated measurements of key regions of Earth's
space environment. Included are observations of the entry and transport of
solar plasma over Earth's magnetic poles, imaging of the northern aurora
(Northern Lights), and investigations of solar wind properties. Polar was built
by Lockheed Martin Astro Space.
Out
of service
|
29
Apr 2008
|
Cause
|
decommissioned
|
Decay
|
|
http://ggsfot.gsfc.nasa.gov/words/polar.html
http://uss-enterprise.bu.edu/BUSPACE/POLAR/polar.html
sat-index articles
Polar carries two booms and 6 long wire antennae. In the 'equatorial'
plane of the satellite are a pair of antennae spanning 130 meters and, at right
angles, another pair of antennae spanning 100 meters. Along the spin axis of
the satellite are another pair of antennae with a span of 14 meters. These
antennae are used to study electric and magnetic fields for the
PWI
(
Plasma Wave Investigation) and
EFI (
Electric Field
Instrument) experiments. Two larger but shorter (6 m long) booms carry more
PWI instruments and the
MFE (
Magnetic Field Experiment).
Other instruments:
TIMAS (
Toroidal Imaging Mass-Angle Spectrograph) to study fluxes
of ions as a function of direction
TIDE (
Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment) and
PSI (
Plasma
Source Instrument) which study connections between the polar ionosphere and
the magnetotail
VIS (
Visible Imaging System) and
UVI (
Ultraviolet
Imager) which measure auroral emissions.
PIXIE (
Polar Ionospheric X-ray Imaging Experiment) studies X-rays
produced by energetic electrons in the upper atmosphere.
CAMMICE (
Charge and Mass Magnetospheric Ion Composition
Experiment) studies the isotopic composition of energetic ions.
CEPPAD (
Comprehensive Energetic Particle Pitch Angle
Distribution) studies high energy protons and electrons.
(JSR)
Telemetry: 2265.0 MHz (realtime: 55.6 kbps, playback: 512 kbps)
Command: 2085.688 MHz