SOLAR, ANOMALOUS AND MAGNETOSPHERIC PARTICLE EXPLORER
SAMPEX
PRESS KIT
JUNE 1992
CONTENTS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS 1
GENERAL RELEASE 2
SCIENCE OBJECTIVES 3
SAMPEX INSTRUMENTS 3
SCHEMATIC OF SPACECRAFT 5
LAUNCH OPERATIONS 6
LAUNCH VEHICLE AND LAUNCH PREPARATIONS 7
MISSION TIMELINE 8
LAUNCH VEHICLE 9
SCIENCE OPERATIONS 10
SMALL EXPLORER DATA SYSTEM 10
GROUND SEGMENT OPERATIONS 10
COOPERATIVE SATELLITE LEARNING PROJECT 11
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICS 12
PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES 12
CO-INVESTIGATORS 13
MISSION MANAGEMENT 13
i
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACTS
Paula Cleggett-Haleim
Office of Space Science and Applications
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-1547)
Don Savage
NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/453-8400)
Dolores Beasley
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/286-2806)
Lisa Malone/Dick Young
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 407/867-2468)
Jan Cooksey, KSC/VAFB
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
(Phone: 805/734-8232, ext. 53820)
Lt. Col. Tom Worsdale
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
30 SPW/PA
(Phone: 805/734-8232, ext. 63595)
1
Release: 92-88
SAMPEX MISSION TO STUDY ENERGETIC PARTICLES FROM SPACE
NASA's Solar, Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle
Explorer (SAMPEX) satellite, an international collaboration
with Germany, will contribute new information on the
composition of energetic particles arriving at Earth from the
solar atmosphere and interstellar space.
The satellite is scheduled for launch on a four-stage,
Scout expendable launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base,
Calif., on June 19, 1992. The launch window extends from 10:22
a.m. to 10:41 a.m. EDT. SAMPEX is designed to support a
minimum mission duration of 1 year, with a potential mission
lifetime of 3 or more years.
This small explorer carries a payload of four particle
detectors and is designed to detect solar energetic particles,
precipitating energetic electrons, anomalous cosmic rays and
galactic cosmic rays. Determining the abundance of each
element and the abundances of isotopes for many of the elements
will enable scientists to learn more about the sun, the
interplanetary environment and the interstellar environment.
SAMPEX also will measure the number of relativistic electrons
(at speeds just below the speed of light) that enter the
Earth's atmosphere and contribute to the destruction of ozone.
SAMPEX was developed by the Small Explorer (SMEX) project
at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., in just
3 years since the mission was initiated. SAMPEX, NASA's 68th
Explorer mission, is the first in a series of small explorer
missions that NASA began in 1989 to perform astrophysics and
space physics investigations with satellites launched on small
expendable launch vehicles. Two other small explorer missions
are currently manifested: the Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer,
scheduled for launch in 1994, and the Submillimeter Wave
Astronomy Satellite, which will be launched in 1995. An
announcement of opportunity for other small explorer missions
will be released later this year.
Dr. Glenn M. Mason, University of Maryland, College Park,
is Principal Investigator for SAMPEX, and there are 10 co-
investigators from American and German institutions. Gilberto
Coln is Mission Manager, Dr. Daniel Baker is Project Scientist
and Roberto Aleman is the SAMPEX Instrument Manager. All three
are from the Goddard Space Flight Center, as is Orlando
Figueroa, Project Manager for SMEX.
- end of general release -
SAMPEX Science Objectives
While SAMPEX, with its four instruments, is expected to
provide unprecedented detail about the composition of energetic
particles from the Milky Way galaxy (galactic cosmic rays) and
from the sun (solar energetic particles), the most dramatic,
new results are expected to come from measuring the composition
of "anomalous" cosmic rays. Anomalous cosmic rays are thought
to be atoms of the local, interstellar gas that enter the solar
system, are ionized and then accelerated to cosmic ray energies
at the shock wave at the end of the solar wind.
At low latitudes, the Earth's magnetic field can turn back
most charged, energetic particles before they reach the 342-statute
mile to 419-statute mile altitude of SAMPEX's orbit. Nonetheless,
SAMPEX's instruments are so sensitive that during the time
spent near the Earth's north and south magnetic poles, SAMPEX
will obtain 10 to 100 times more galactic cosmic rays and solar
energetic particles than any previous mission.
More importantly, SAMPEX will be able to use the shielding
power of the Earth's magnetic field at somewhat lower latitudes
to discriminate energetic particles coming from the sun and the
galaxy from anomalous cosmic rays. If the theory of anomalous
cosmic rays is correct, the atoms should be only partially
ionized and therefore, able to penetrate the Earth's magnetic
field at lower latitudes. SAMPEX will confirm the theory if it
observes anomalous cosmic rays at the lower latitudes and will
tell scientists much more about the atoms as well. The
possibility of directly measuring the composition of a sample
of local interstellar matter in this way has very high
scientific value.
SAMPEX Science Instruments
The SAMPEX mission will carry four scientific instruments:
the Low Energy Ion Composition Analyzer, the Heavy Ion Large
Telescope, the Mass Spectrometer Telescope and the
Proton/Electron Telescope.
Low Energy Ion Composition Analyzer (LEICA)
The LEICA instrument is a mass spectrometer that
identifies incident mass and energy by simultaneously measuring
the time-of-flight and residual kinetic energy of particles
that enter the telescope and stop in one of four silicon,
solid-state detectors. An earlier model of this instrument
flew on the Space Shuttle in 1989 as a Get Away Special (GAS)
experiment. LEICA is provided by the University of Maryland,
College Park.
Heavy Ion Large Telescope (HILT)
HILT will measure galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic
particles when it is near the Earth's magnetic poles. In
box as MAST.
These four instruments were constructed at the separate
institutions and integrated with a Data Processing Unit (DPU)
provided by the Aerospace Corp. of El Segundo, Calif. The DPU
is responsible for overall control of the science payload and
controls instrument housekeeping functions.
LAUNCH OPERATIONS
The 8 hour, 10 minute launch countdown is scheduled to
begin at 2:12 a.m. EDT on June 18. Included in the countdown
is one built-in hold at the T minus 10 minute mark which
extends from 10:02 to 10:12 a.m. EDT on June 19. Lift-off is
scheduled for 10:22 a.m. EDT. The 19-minute launch window
closes at 10:41 a.m. EDT.
Major tasks in the countdown include a communications
check, activating the vehicle ground support equipment, check-
out of the vehicle's electronic systems and fueling the
reaction control system. In addition, the vehicle and launcher
will be secured and erected, and a test of the ignition and
destruct systems will be conducted. A weather briefing and a
status of the countdown is held about 1 hour prior to launch.
A 24-hour turnaround can be supported depending on the
nature of a launch postponement. In the event of a 24-hour
scrub, the vehicle and spacecraft will be lowered from the
launch platform and secured in the shelter at Space Launch
Complex (SLC)-5.
About 90 seconds after launch at an altitude of about 24
nautical miles the second stage ignites and the first stage is
separated from the vehicle. Next, the heat shield
encapsulating the SAMPEX payload will be jettisoned at 2
minutes, 28 seconds after launch.
The third stage is ignited and the second stage is
separated about 2 minutes, 30 seconds after launch. This burn
lasts for approximately 48 seconds. The vehicle is oriented to
the proper fourth stage attitude before spin up of the fourth
stage which occurs about 10 minutes after launch when the
vehicle is at an altitude of 300 nautical miles. Then, the
third stage separates and performs a retromaneuver to move
safely out of stage four's path. The fourth stage is ignited
and burns for about 30 seconds. The Scout rocket delivers its
payload into orbit about 15 minutes after launch.
DOWNRANGE LAUNCH SUPPORT
Tracking station support to receive launch vehicle
telemetry and data from the first three stages will be provided
by NASA and Air Force telemetry stations. Fourth stage data
will be provided by an Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft
which is a modified C-135 aircraft and serves as an airborne
tracking station.
SCOUT LAUNCH VEHICLE AND SAMPEX LAUNCH PREPARATIONS
Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla., is responsible for the
preparation and launch of the Scout launch vehicle which will
loft the SAMPEX payload into orbit from NASA's Western Test
Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), Calif. The Scout is
a four-stage solid propellant unmanned launch vehicle that has
a 98 percent success record over the last 20 years.
A team of 30 KSC employees rotate duty at Vandenberg so
that five are on hand during the assembly of the Scout rocket
and the payload at Vandenberg. The four rocket motors arrived
at the west coast facility by truck during the period from
February 18 to March 29, 1991 for a previous mission that was
canceled. The motors were stored at VAFB until build-up
commenced in early January 1992. Following the motor build-
up, a series of vehicle systems tests were conducted March 12-
27.
The vehicle was installed on the launcher at SLC-5,
located at the VAFB south base, May 15-18. An electronic
functional test was conducted May 20.
The SAMPEX payload arrived at Vandenberg by truck on May
20. It was transferred to the Dynamic Balance Facility on May
28 where it was mated to the fourth stage and went through
static and dynamic balancing operations. The payload is
scheduled to be transported to SLC-5 on June 5 where it will be
attached to the Scout rocket.
The Scout program is managed by Goddard's Orbital Launch
Services Project for NASA's Office of Space Science and
Applications, Washington, D.C. From April 1959 to January
1991, Scout was managed by NASA's Langley Research Center,
Scout Project Office, Hampton, Va.
SAMPEX MISSION TIMELINE
MET
(Mission Elapsed Time) Event
L-10:00:00 Spacecraft Closeout
L-08:10:00 Begin Countdown
L-04:55:00 Begin Scout Fueling
L-01:55:00 Power on Spacecraft, Begin Configuring Launch
L-00:04:30 Begin Spacecraft Terminal Phase
(Switch to Internal Power, Final Telemetry Check)
L-00:02:00 Final Spacecraft Go/No Go
L+00:00:00 Scout Liftoff
L+00:01:24 First-Stage Burnout
L+00:01:28 First-Stage Separation and Second-Stage
Ignition
L+00:02:09 Second-Stage Burnout
L+00:02:22 Third-Stage Ignition and Second-Stage Separation
L+00:03:10 Third-Stage Burnout
L+00:09:54 Third-Stage Separation
L+00:09:59 Fourth-Stage Ignition
L+00:10:32 Fourth-Stage Burnout
L+00:14:44 Spacecraft Separation
L+00:14:56 Solar Array Deployment
L+04:21:00 Initial Ground Station Pass (Madrid)
SCIENCE OPERATIONS
The University of Maryland Science Operations Center
(UMSOC), located in College Park, is responsible for all
science operations. After NASA captures the data from the
spacecraft, the UMSOC will receive the scientific data and
distribute Level 1 data and line plots to all co-investigator
institutions and the National Space Science Data Center at
Goddard. Higher level science processing is carried out at the
remote investigator sites.
SMALL EXPLORER DATA SYSTEM
The SAMPEX control and data handling functions are
performed by the Small Explorer Data System (SEDS). The SEDS
provides on-board computers that can be programmed to perform
mission unique functions as required and provides autonomous
operation of the spacecraft when it is not in contact with the
ground. The data system uses computer memory instead of more
conventional tape recorders to record spacecraft telemetry
data.
The management of the Mission Operations and Data Analysis
phase of the SAMPEX mission will be transferred from the SMEX
Project Office to the Orbiting Satellites Project Office within
30 days after launch. Both project offices are located at
Goddard.
GROUND SEGMENT OPERATIONS
Goddard's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., is
the primary ground station for communication with the
spacecraft. Other ground stations are in Madrid, Spain; the
Canberra Deep Space Tracking Station in Australia and the
Goldstone Deep Space Tracking Station, Goldstone, Calif.
SMALL SPACE MISSIONS
SAMPEX is the first in a series of small explorer missions
initiated to address a number of important scientific problems
using small scientific satellites in Earth orbit. The misisons
are relatively low cost, and NASA's goal is to launch one small
explorer mission per year following a relativelty short
development time frame. The launch of SAMPEX comes just over 3
years since its inception in April 1989.
COOPERATIVE SATELLITE LEARNING PROJECT
The Cooperative Satellite Learning Project is a unique
educational partnership between Laurel High School, Laurel,
Md.; Bendix Field Engineering Corp., Seabrook, Md.; Falcon
Microsystems, Landover, Md.; and Goddard that involves high
school students in the process of developing and operating
SAMPEX.
This pilot program provides students with an understanding
of the overall "end-to-end" system used to support SAMPEX and
will demonstrate how NASA implements a specific mission for a
given scientific endeavor. It also introduces the students to
careers in space.
A Mission Monitor System in the high school will receive
and process SAMPEX satellite data and provide computer-assisted
tutoring. In this way, students will participate directly in
SAMPEX tests, simulations and orbital operations.
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICS
Payload: Four particle detectors
SAMPEX Orbit: 342 x 419 statute miles
Orbit Inclination: 82 degrees
Weight: 348 pounds
Length: 4.5 feet stowed
Diameter: 2.8 feet stowed
Design Life: 3 years
Launch Vehicle: Scout
Foreign Participation: Max Planck Institute, Garching, Germany
PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES
Spacecraft Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Science Operations University of Maryland, College Park
Launch Operations Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Scout Launch Vehicle Goddard Space Flight Center
SAMPEX CO-INVESTIGATIONS
Dr. D. Baker Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Project Scientist
Dr. J. Blake Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, Calif.
Data Processing Unit
L. Callis Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
Data Analysis
Dr. D. Hamilton University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
LEICA
Dr. D. Hovestadt Max Planck Institute, Garching, Germany
HILT
Dr. B. Klecker Max Planck Institute, Garching, Germany
HILT
Dr. R. Mewaldt Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
MAST, PET
Dr. M. Scholer Max Planck Institute, Garching, Germany
HILT
Dr. E. Stone California Institute of Technology, Pasadena,
Calif.
MAST, PET
Dr. T. Von Rosenvinge Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
Md.
MAST, PET
SAMPEX MISSION MANAGEMENT
NASA HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Dr. Lennard A. Fisk Associate Administrator, Office of Space
Science and Applications
Alphonso V. Diaz Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of
Space Science and Applications
Dr. Dave Gilman Program Manager
Dr. Vernon Jones Program Scientist
Charles R. Gunn Director, Expendable Launch Vehicle
Division
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, GREENBELT, MD.
Dr. John Klineberg Director, Goddard Space Flight Center
Peter T. Burr Deputy Director, Goddard Space Flight
Center
Orlando Figueroa Project Manager
Dr. Dan Baker Project Scientist
Gilberto Coln SAMPEX Mission Manager
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA.
Robert L. Crippen Director, Kennedy Space Center
James A. "Gene" Thomas Deputy Director, Kennedy Space Center
John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and
Operations
James L. Womack Director, Expendable Vehicle
Operations
George E. Looschen Chief, Expendable Launch Vehicle
Operations
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
Dr. Glenn Mason Principal Investigator