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    Mission Timeline

    Distance between the Cluster spacecraft during the mission

     
    Launch 1

     

    Date Time Description
    16-07-00 12:39Z Launch 1 (S/C 3 + S/C 2)
      14:14Z AOS Kiruna
      18:12Z Spin-up S/C 3 completed
      18:32Z Spin-up S/C 2 completed
         
    17-07-00 11:21 / 11:22Z Delta V1 (apogee raising)
    18-07-00 08:34 / 08:38Z Delta V2 (apogee raising)
    19-07-00 05:08 / 05:15Z Delta V3 (apogee raising)
         
    19-07-00 22:58 / 23:11Z Delta V4 (apogee raising)
    20-07-00 03:40 / 06:54 Slew to inclination attitude
    20-07-00 22:59 / 23:47Z Delta V5 (Inclination Change)

     


    Launch 2

     

    Date Time Description
    09-08-00 11:13Z Launch 2 (S/C 1 + S/C 4)
      12:45Z AOS Kiruna
      15:39Z Spin-up S/C 1 completed
      16:04Z Spin-up S/C 4 completed
         
    10-08-00 15:14 / 09:54Z Delta V1 (apogee raising)
         
    11-08-00 04:45 / 05:49Z Delta V2 (apogee raising)
         
    12-08-00 00:10 / 00:46Z Delta V3 (apogee raising)
    12-08-00 16:33 / 16:36Z Delta V4 (apogee raising)
    12-08-00 20:40 / 23:45Z Slew to inclination attitude
         
    13-08-00 16:52 / 16.50Z Delta V5 (Inclination Change)
         
    14-08-00 18:10Z Slew to operational attitude S/C 4
         
    15-08-00 05:24Z Slew to operational attitude S/C 1
    15-08-00   Declare Main Engine not needed anymore
         
    16-08-00   ASPOC and CIS experiment cover release
         
    17-08-00 to 21-08-00   Radial Boom Deployment
    17-08-00 to 27-08-00   Trim Manoeuvres to achieve spacecraft constellation
         
    28-08-00   Start of Instrument Commissioning
         
    31-01-01   End of Commissioning

     


    Routine Operations

     

    Date Description
    01-02-01 Mission Commissioning Results Review (MCRR)
    01-02-01 Start of Routine operations for minimum 24 months
    01-02-01 1st central Polar cusp crossing
    (600 km separation)
    01-08-01 1st central Magnetotail crossing
    (2000 km separation)
    02-02-02 2nd central Polar cusp crossing
    (100 km separation)
    02-08-02 2nd central Magnetotail crossing
    (4000 km separation)
    01-06-02 Start of full orbit coverage
    01-02-03 3rd central Polar cusp crossing
    (5000 km separation)
    02-08-03 3rd central Magnetotail crossing
    (200 km separation)
    01-02-04 4th central Polar cusp crossing
    (300 km separation)
    02-08-04 4th central Magnetotail crossing
    (1000 km separation)
    01-02-05 5th central Polar cusp crossing
    (1300 km separation)
    02-08-05 5th central Magnetotail crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=1000 km)
    01-02-06 6th central Polar cusp crossing
    (10 000 km tetrahedron)
    02-08-06 6th central Magnetotail crossing
    (10 000 km tetrahedron)
    01-02-07 7th central Polar cusp crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km // bow shock; C3,C4=450 km perpendicular to bow shock)
    02-08-07 7th central Magnetotail crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=40 km)
    01-02-08 8th central Polar cusp crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km // magnetopause/bow shock; C3,C4=40 km perpendicular to magnetopause/bow shock)
    01-05-08 C3 spacecraft tilt by 40° during one month
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=40 km)
    02-08-08 8th central Magnetotail crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=3000 km)
    01-02-09 9th central Polar cusp crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4 first at 10 000 km for solar wind and then at 1000 km for auroral acceleration)
    01-05-09 1st Auroral acceleration crossing
    (1000 km separation)
    02-08-09 9th central Magnetotail crossing
    (multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=500 km)
    01-12-09 2nd Auroral acceleration crossing
    (1000 km separation)
    01-08-10 10th Magnetotail crossing
    (5000 km separation)
    01-02-11 Solar wind crossing
    (5000 km separation)
    02-04-11 GI - High latitude energetic electrons
    01-06-11 Solar wind crossing
    (5000 km tetrahedron)
    01-10-11 Auroral acceleration region
    01-02-12 GI - Solar wind turbulence
    01-05-12 GI - Magnetopause multi-scale
    01-07-12 GI - Tail flow braking multi-scale
    01-11-12 GI - Large scale flank waves configuration
    01-01-13  GI - Flux transfer events
    01-05-13 Auroral acceleration region
    01-08-13 Inner magnetosphere
    (small scale triangle C1,C3,C4 ~10-100 km)
    01-11-13 GI - Cusp

     


    Last Update: 02 May 2013

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