TOMS-EP

USA

Total Ozone Mapping Satellite

Launch data:

Designation	23940 / 96037A
Launch date	02 Jul 1996
Launch site	Va, L-1011, RW30/12
Launch vehicle	Pegasus-XL (#12)
Mission	Remote sensing
Sun-synchronous Earth orbit:
Perigee/Apogee	500 km (sunsynchronous)
Inclination	97.4°
Period	96.7 min

TOMS will focus on tropospheric ozone, to monitor its depletion. It measures total ozone by observing both incoming solar energy and backscattered ultraviolet radiation at six wavelengths. Backscattered radiation is solar radiation that has penetrated the Earth's lower atmosphere and been reflected by air molecules and clouds back through the stratosphere to the satellite sensors.

In Dec 1998 the satellite was hit by a high-energy particle which disrupted the on-board computer and the satellite ended in safe mode. There was a problem with this mode and the stabilization processed exhumed the fuel. TRW came up with a solution to regain control over the satellite by using its magnetic torque. This was successful and the satellite uses this stabilization method since Jan 1999.

Specifications

Prime contractor	TRW
Platform	STEP/Eagle
Mass at launch	261 kg
Mass in orbit	215 kg
Dimension	2.4 x 3.9 m
Solar array
Stabilization	3 axis
DC power	128 W
Design lifetime	2 years

Single instrument: TOMS which already flew on Nimbus 7 (1978) and Meteor 3-05 (1991). It should also fly on Adeos 1

Telemetry: 2273.50 MHz (3 downlink rates: 1.1 kbps, 50 kbps, 200 kbps)
Command: 2093.51 MHz

Ref: #15, #83 - update: 27.10.04