Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer

The Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) was a NASA solar and magnetospheric observatory, and was the first spacecraft in the Small Explorer program. It was launched into low Earth orbit on July 3, 1992, from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Scout G-1 rocket. SAMPEX was an international collaboration between NASA of the United States and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics of Germany.[4]

Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer
NamesExplorer-68, SMEX-1
Mission typeMagnetospheric research
OperatorNASA / GSFC
Max Planck Institute
COSPAR ID1992-038A
SATCAT no.22012
Websitehttp://lasp.colorado.edu/sampex/sampex.html
Mission durationPlanned: 3 years
Final: 11 years, 11 months and 27 days[1]
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerNASA / GSFC
Launch mass157 kg (346 lb)[2]
Payload mass45.2 kg (100 lb)[2]
Dimensions1.5 × 0.9 m (4.9 × 3.0 ft)
Power102 W[2]
Start of mission
Launch dateJuly 3, 1992, 14:19 (1992-07-03UTC14:19Z) UTC[3]
RocketScout G-1
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-5W
End of mission
DisposalReentered
Decay dateNovember 13, 2012, 11:42 (2012-11-13UTC11:43Z) UTC[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeNear-polar
Eccentricity0.009999999776482582
Perigee altitude512 km (318 mi)
Apogee altitude687 km (427 mi)
Inclination81.7°
Period96.7 minutes
EpochJuly 3, 1992[3]
Small Explorer program
 

The spacecraft carried four instruments designed to measure the anomalous components of cosmic rays, emissions from solar energetic particles, and electron counts in Earth's magnetosphere. Built for a three-year mission, its science mission was ended on June 30, 2004.[1] Mission control for SAMPEX was handled by the Goddard Space Flight Center until October 1997, after which it was turned over to the Bowie State University Satellite Operations Control Center (BSOCC).[2] BSOCC, with funding assistance from The Aerospace Corporation, continued to operate the spacecraft after its science mission ended, using the spacecraft as an educational tool for its students while continuing to release science data to the public.[5][6]

Built for a three-year primary mission, the spacecraft continued to return science data until its reentry on November 13, 2012.[5][7]

Instruments
  • Heavy Ion Large Telescope (HILT)[8]
  • Low Energy Ion Composition Analyzer (LEICA)[9]
  • Mass Spectrometer Telescope (MAST) measures the isotopic composition of elements from Li (Z=3) to Ni (Z=28) with energy from 10 to several hundred MeV/nucleon.[10]
  • Proton/Electron Telescope (PET)[11]

Collaborators

SAMPEX collaborators included:[1]

References
  1. "SAMPEX Data Center". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  2. "SAMPEX". eoPortal. European Space Agency. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  3. "SAMPEX - Trajectory Details". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  4. Mason, G. M.; et al. (1998). SAMPEX: NASA's first small explorer satellite. IEEE Aerospace Conference. March 21–28, 1998. Aspen, Colorado. 5. pp. 389–412. Bibcode:1998aero....5..389M. doi:10.1109/AERO.1998.685848.
  5. "SAMPEX Mission Returns to Earth". The Aerospace Corporation. November 21, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  6. Fox, Karen C. (November 1, 2012). "NASA's SAMPEX Mission: A Space Weather Warrior". NASA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  7. "Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX)". The Aerospace Corporation. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  8. "Heavy Ion Large Telescope (HILT)". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  9. "Low-Energy Ion Composition Analyzer (LICA)". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  10. "Mass Spectrometer Telescope (MAST)". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  11. "Proton-Electron Telescope (PET)". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.

Further reading

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