25568 - ASTRID-2

ASTRID 2 is a Swedish science spacecraft that was launched (along with NADEZHDA 5) by a Cosmos (-3M?) rocket from Plesetsk at 11:57 UT. It carries an electron spectrometer, a magnetometer and an UV imager, all of interest to auroral research. Initial orbital parameters were period 105 min, apogee 1,013 km, perigee 978 km, and inclination 83 deg.

ASTRID-2 is a Swedish scientific microsatellite. The scientific objectives of the mission are to: make high resolution electric and magnetic field measurements in the auroral region; make electron density measurements; make high resolution measurements of the electron and ion distribution functions; and make ultraviolet auroral imaging and atmospheric UV-absorption measurements. The spacecraft was developed by the Swedish Space Corporation's Science Systems Division. The payload was developed by the Alfven Laboratory and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics.

The satellite was launched into a circular orbit at approximately 1000 km altitude and 83 degrees inclination. The spacecraft is spin-stabilized and the spin axis will be pointed close to the sun. Solar panels and batteries provide a nominal 90 watts, at 28 volts. Communication links are in the S-band, and downlink data rate is 128 kbps. Total mass is less than 30 kg, with about 9 kg of experiments. Size with deployed solar panels is 1.7 x 1.1 x 0.3 meters. Data reception and control station is at Swedish Space Corporation in Stockholm. The scientists operate the experiments themselves via the Internet.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1998-12-10
Launch Vehicle: Cosmos
Launch Site: Plesetsk, Russia
Mass: 30.0 kg