Dynamics Explorer
| Mission type | Magnetospheric research |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1981-070A |
| SATCAT no. | 12624 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro |
| Launch mass | 424 kilograms (935 lb) |
| Power | 68 W |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | August 03, 1981, 09:56:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta 3913 642/D155 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-2W |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | HEO |
| Semi-major axis | 18,238.0 kilometers (11,332.6 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.6238922 |
| Perigee | 488.6 kilometers (303.6 mi) |
| Apogee | 23,246.3 kilometers (14,444.6 mi) |
| Inclination | 89.959° |
| Period | 408.5 minutes |
| Epoch | 27 June 2016 |
| Revolution no. | 59680 |
| Mission type | Magnetospheric research |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1981-070B |
| SATCAT no. | 12625 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro |
| Launch mass | 420 kilograms (926 lb) |
| Power | 115 W |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | August 03, 1981, 09:56:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta 3913 642/D155 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-2W |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | February 19, 1983 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | LEO |
| Eccentricity | 0.03 |
| Perigee | 309 kilometers (192 mi) |
| Apogee | 1,012 kilometers (629 mi) |
| Inclination | 89.99° |
| Period | 98 minutes |
| Epoch | 03 August 1981 |
| Revolution no. | 8593 |
Dynamics Explorer was a NASA mission, launched on August 3, 1981 and terminated on February 28, 1991. It consisted of two unmanned satellites, DE-1 and DE-2, whose purpose was to investigate the interractions between plasmas in the magnetosphere and those in the ionosphere. The two satellites were launched together into polar coplanar orbits, which allowed them to simultaneously observe the upper and lower parts of the atmosphere.
Both spacecraft had a polygonal shape, and were approximately 137 cm in diameter and 115 cm high. Each also had a 200-cm radio antenna and two 6-meter booms which were needed to distance some of the equipment from the main body of the spacecraft. They were stacked on top of each other and launched aboard a Delta 3000 booster rocket. Upon reaching orbit, the two spacecraft departed from the booster and entered separate orbits. Dynamics Explorer 1 was placed into a high altitude elliptical orbit, while DE-2 was put into a lower orbit that was also more circular.
The main instrument aboard Dynamics Explorer 1 was the Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI). This instrument, designed and built by the Plasma Wave Group, measured auroral kilometric radiation, auroral hiss, Z-mode radiation, and narrow band electromagnetic emissions. Additional Instruments aboard the spacecraft included:
The Dynamics Explorer 2 carried the following instruments for data collection:
As a result of a malfunction in the Delta 3000 booster rocket in which its main engine shut off slightly early, DE-2 was placed into a slightly lower orbit than was anticipated. This was not a serious problem, however, and the spacecraft had lasted its expected lifespan when it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on February 19, 1983. DE-1, being in a higher orbit, continued to collect data until 1991, when the mission was officially terminated.
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