THEMIS P1 --> ARTEMIS P1

Launch data: Designation  30580 / 07004A Launch date  17 Feb 2007 - 23:01 UT Launch site  CC, SLC-17B Launch vehicle  Delta-7925-10C (#323) Mission  Earth Science Earth orbit on Feb 18.01: Perigee / Apogee  500 x 91299 km Inclination  16.18° Period  1982.62 min

Spacecraft data: Prime contractor  Swales Aerospace Operator  NASA Platform   Mass at launch  125 kg Dry Mass  76 kg Basic shape  Box + 8 booms Dimension (m)   Solar array   Stabilization   DC power   Design lifetime

At Astrotech Operations in Florida, workers attach an overehead crane to integrated THEMIS spacecraft. The craft is being moved to a spin table for spin-balance-testing Photo's credit: NASA/George Shelton

Workers prepare to install the fairing around the spacecraft. The nose cone will protect The vehicle during launch and ascent.

The first half of the fairing is moved into place around THEMIS

Mission details:

• NASA's THEMIS mission was launched on Feb 17 by United Launch Alliance using a Boeing Delta 7925-10C vehicle. The Delta 7925 rocket entered a 182 x 563 km x 28.5 deg initial orbit; the second burn of the second stage moved it to a 518 x 1528 km x 26.6 deg orbit. The third stage then spun up, separated and fired to go to a 469 x 87337 km x 16.0 deg orbit. After a five minute coast, two despin weights were unreeled and then the five THEMIS probes were separated. The second stage later made a third burn to lower its orbit to 184 x 1510 km x 22.1 deg, ensuring a short orbital life for this stage.
• The THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) probes, built by Swales Aerospace, are 76 kg dry, 125 kg fully fuelled, and 0.8m across with booms spanning 40.2 m.
  (8 booms: 1x 1m, 1x 2m, 4x 5m & 2x 20m)
  They carry four 4.4N orbit adjust thrusters and will end up in a variety of high apogee orbits, measuring particles and fields to study magnetospheric storms. The mission is a NASA MIDEX Explorer led by UC Berkeley.
• ARTEMIS P1 (formerly THEMIS P1) was in a 47058 x 356845 km x 59.5 deg lunar transfer orbit by Jan 7, 2010.
• The NASA/Berkeley Artemis P1 probe entered a retrograde equatorial lunar orbit on Jun 27, 2011 after several months at Earth-Moon L1. Initial orbital parameters are 3543 x 27000 km.

External links:

• NASA: Satellite description