POLAR is an American space physics spacecraft that was launched by a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg AFB at 11:24 UT. The 1,300-kg pole-to-pole orbiter carries 11 instruments to measure magnetospheric hot plasma, electric/magnetic fields, plasma waves, X-rays and energetic particles as well as visible light and UV cameras to map auroral displays. The mission is a member of the international ISTP/GGS fleet of spacecraft. Initial orbital parameters were period 938.1 min, apogee 50,551 km (over the Arctic), perigee 185 km, and inclination 85.9 deg. A few days later the perigee was raised to 5,100 km through several gas burns.
POLAR is one of four spacecraft in the Global Geospace Science (GGS) program. These are among the six spacecraft in the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program. POLAR provides multi-wavelength imaging of the aurora, measuring plasma entry into the polar magnetosphere and geomagnetic tail, the flow of plasmas to and from the ionosphere, and the deposition of particle energy in the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. POLAR has on-board propulsion systems and a design lifetime of three to five years, with redundant subsystems. POLAR is cylindrical, approximately 2.8 m in diameter by 1.25 m high (plus 1.25 m for its two despun platforms), with body-mounted solar cells, weighs 1250 kg and uses 333 W of power. The spin rate is 10 rpm around an axis approximately normal to the orbital plane. It has long wire spin-plane antennas, inertial booms, and spin-plane appendages to support sensors. POLAR has two despun gimbaled instrument platforms, and booms are deployed along both Z axes. Data are stored using on-board tape recorders and are relayed to the Deep Space Network at 600 kbps maximum (250 kbps nominal) although the average real-time data rate for POLAR is 41.6 kbps. POLAR has a 22.6-h polar orbit (90 deg inclination), with perigee and apogee of 11,500 and 57,000 km. Polar was launched to observe the polar magnetosphere and, as its orbit has precessed with time, has observed the equatorial inner magnetosphere and is now carrying out an extended period of southern hemisphere coverage.
Alternate Names
GGS/Polar
ISTP/Polar
Polar Plasma Laboratory
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 1996-02-24
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Launch Site: Vandenberg AFB, United States
Mass: 1300.0 kg