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The MAGSAT mission
Author(s) -
Langel Robert,
Ousley Gilbert,
Berbert John,
Murphy James,
Settle Mark
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl009i004p00243
Subject(s) - magnetometer , spacecraft , geodesy , physics , orbit determination , remote sensing , orbit (dynamics) , satellite , boom , aerospace engineering , astronomy , geology , computer science , magnetic field , engineering , oceanography , quantum mechanics
The MAGSAT spacecraft was launched on October 30, 1979, into a twilight, sun‐synchronous, orbit with inclination 96.76°, perigee 352 km and apogee 561 km. The Cesium vapor scalar and fluxgate vector magnetometers together measured the field magnitude to better than 2 nanotesla (nT) and each component to better than 6nT. Two star cameras, a high‐accuracy sun sensor and a pitch axis gyro provided the 10‐20 arc‐second attitude measurements necessary to achieve this accuracy. The magnetometers were located at the end of a boom to eliminate the effect of spacecraft fields. An optical system measured the attitude of the vector magnetometer and sun sensor (at the end of the boom) relative to the star cameras (on the main spacecraft). The data are available in several formats from the National Space Science Data Center and are undergoing analysis by a team of investigators.