The magnetic field experiment for the Venus-Halley (VEGA) mission

The Magnetic Fields in Interplanetary Space during Comet Halley's Approach experiment (MISCHA) on board the Venus-Halley probes is presented. The probes will be launched in December 1984, the Venus fly-by is planned for June 1985 and the Halley encounter for March 1986. Each of the two spacecraft carries one fluxgate magnetometer with two sensors. The magnetometer unit can perform a spectral analysis of the magnetic field fluctuations to obtain better information on the higher frequency components. Objectives include investigation of the magnetic field in the cometary environment, study of the macroscale structure of the interplanetary magnetic field and measurement of low frequency fluctuations along the spacecraft trajectory.