Spacecraft design considerations for an Inner Magnetosphere Imager mission
Abstract
Imaging the Earth's magnetosphere from space will enable scientists to better understand the global shape of the inner magnetosphere, its components and processes. The proposed Inner Magnetosphere Imager (IMI) mission will obtain the first simultaneous images of the component regions of the inner magnetosphere and will enable scientists to relate these global images to internal and external influences as well as local observations. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is performing a concept definition study of the proposed mission. As currently envisioned, the baseline mission calls for an instrument complement of approximately seven imagers to be flown in an elliptical Earth orbit with an apogee of seven Earth Radii (RE). Several spacecraft concepts have been examined for the mission. The baseline concept utilizes a spinning spacecraft with a despun platform, the second uses a three-axis stabilized spacecraft with a spinning platform, while the third option splits the instruments onto two small satellites; a spinning spacecraft and a complementary three-axis stabilized spacecraft. This paper will address the mission objectives, the rationale for using proven spacecraft designs, and the preliminary concept definition study team results for all three options.
- Publication:
-
Instrumentation for Magnetospheric Imagery
- Pub Date:
- 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992imi.proc.....2H
- Keywords:
-
- Earth Magnetosphere;
- Earth Observations (From Space);
- Satellite Imagery;
- Spacecraft Design;
- Launch Vehicles;
- Nasa Space Programs;
- Orbit Transfer Vehicles;
- Payloads;
- Propulsion System Configurations;
- Spacecraft Control;
- Spacecraft Guidance;
- Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance