Swarm-1

Swarm-1 (Earth Explorer 5A)

ESA

Spacecraft nº:

ESA spacecraft nº: 83

Also called: Swarm A

Launched together with: Swarm B - Swarm C

Prime manufacturer	EADS Astrium Friedrichshafen
Platform
Operator	ESA
Mass at launch	468 kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Equipment	ASM, VFM, EFI, ACC, LRR
Solar array	Solar cells
Stabilization
Propulsion
DC power
Design lifetime	4 yrs

Credit: ESA

A Eurockot Rockot vehicle will launch the Swarm mission for the European Space Agency. Swarm is an Earth Explorer mission comprising three satellites in different polar orbits to probe the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, in order to gain new insights into the Earth system by improving our understanding of the Earth's interior and physical climate.
SWARM A is one of three European magnetic field research satellites kicking off a four-year mission to catalog the sources behind Earth's shield against radiation and solar storms. Each satellite's deployable appendage carries two magnetometers provided by institutions in France and Denmark, and the booms ensure the sensors are far enough away avoid magnetic interference from the spacecraft. Built by EADS Astrium in Germany, the satellites each weighed about 1,042 pounds (473 kg) at the time of launch, including freon propellant for several months of maneuvers to put the craft in the right locations for the mission. The satellites are carbon copies of each other, and each of the three spacecraft could occupy any position in Swarm's constellation.

Launch delayed from July 16, 2012, by launcher issue. Delayed from November 2012 by Breeze M investigation. Delayed from February 2013 by launcher issue. Delayed from April, May and summer timeframe. Delayed from Oct. 4, 2013.
Mission succesful, but failed deorbit burn.

Ref.: #12, #14, #228 - update: 10.12.13