First of two plasma science satellites to be launched under the joint ESA-China DoubleStar programme.
Chinese satellite name as been translated as "explorer". Satellite carries instruments supplied by both
China and members of ESA and the orbits of Tan Ce 1 (equatorial satellite) and 2 (polar satellite, to be
launched during 2004) are chosen to compliment work being done by ESA's Cluster-2 satellites.
First launch of the CZ-2C class launcher from Xichang and the first use of the CTS third stage.
Double Star 1 (also known as Tan Ce 1, and TC 1) is a Sino-European (CNSA-ESA) satellite that was launched by a Long March 2C/SM rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the Sichuan province of China (PRC). It carries eight instruments to probe Earth's magnetosphere, five from ESA and three from CNSA. (The ESA instruments are legacies from ESA's Cluster mission.) The data from all instruments will be stored on-board and dumped over three ground stations: Shanghai and Beijing in China, and Villafranca in Spain. The Program Manager is Bodo Gramkow (ESA) and the Project Scientist is Philippe Escoubet (ESA). There will be coordination between the Cluster and Double Star missions. For more information, see http://www.esa.int/export/esaSC/120381_index_0_m.html. Initial orbital parameters were period 1,644 min, apogee 78,970 km, perigee 562 km, and inclination 28.23°.
ASPOC (Active Space Potential Control) is to maintain the potential of the spacecraft at a low voltage. The tendency to attain high positive voltage due mainly to photoelectric emission is sought to be neutralized by shooting out positive indium ions. The spacecraft potential is continuously monitored by the PEACE instrument. The Principal Investigator is K. Torkar, IWF, Graz, Austria.
PEACE (Plasma Electron And Current Experiment) infers the positive potential of the spacecraft by counting the number and speed of the thermal electrons that impinge on it. This measurement is an input to the operation of ASPOC. The Principal Investigator is A. Fazakerley, MSSL, Dorking, UK.
FGM (Flux Gate Magnetometer) is located on a 3.5 meter long boom and measures the magnetic field along the orbit at a rate up to 67 samples per second. The Principal Investigator is Chris Carr, IC, UK.
HIA (Hot Ion Analyzer) measures the distribution function of ions in the magnetosphere and the solar wind, during each spin period of four seconds. The Principal Investigator is Henri Reme, CESR, Toulouse, rance.
STAFF-DWP (Spatio-Temporal Analyzer of Field Fluctuations and Digital Wave Processor) The data from the magnetometer consists of two components. The low frequency components are transmitted to the ground for analysis. The higher frequency components are best analyzed on-board by a DWP and STAFF and the result telemetered to the ground stations. The Principal Investigators are N. Cornilleau-Wehrlin of CETP, Velizy, France; and H. Alleyne, Sheffield University, UK.
HEED (High Energy Electron Detector) measures the flux of energetic electrons in the magnetosphere. The Principal Investigators are W. Zhang and J. B. Cao of CSSAR, China. (CSSAR stands for Center for Space Science and Applied Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing)
HEPD (High Energy Proton Detector) detects energetic protons in the magnetosphere and solar wind. The Principal Investigators are J. Liang and J. B. Cao, CSSAR, China.
HID (Heavy Ion Detector) detects heavy ions of AMU>4. The Principal Investigators are Y. Zhai and J. B. Cao, CSSAR, China.
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