TRACE

USA

Transitional Region and Coronal Explorer - Also called Explorer 73 or SMEX 4

Launch data:

Designation	25280 / 98020A
Launch date	02 Apr 1998
Launch site	Va, L-1011, RW30/12
Launch vehicle	Pegasus-XL
Mission	Government: Astrophysics Scientific: sun observation
Sun-Synchronous LEO Earth orbit:
Perigee / Apogee	597 x 642 km
Eccentricity	3,22E-03
Inclination	97.8 deg
Period	97.09 min

The TRACE satellite, designed by an international team of 13 scientists from America, Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands, will explore the connections between fine-scale magnetic fields and the associated plasma structures of the Sun. Will be built at the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory.

Specifications:

Primecontractor	Lockheed Martin
Platform
Operator	Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA)
Mass at launch	213 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension	0.86 m octogonal prism
Solar array	4 panels, total: 2 m²
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	220 W
Design lifetime	1 year

Telemetry: 2215 MHz (realtime: 23.4375 kpbs, playback: 1.125 or 2.25 Mbps) (5 W transmitter)
Command: 2039.65 MHz (2 kbps)
Date: 2275.3 MHz ?

Field of view: 8.5 x 8.5 arcminute
Telescope: 30 cm diameter x 160 cm length, 8.66 m focal length Cassegrain
Coordinates with SOHO; image the solar corona and transition region at high angular and temporal resolution.

Ref: #15, #27, #226 - update: 10.01.11