28382 - DOUBLE STAR 2

DOUBLE STAR 2, also known as EXPLORER 2 and as TAN CE 2 (TC 2), is a European-Chinese (PRC) (ESA-CNSA) satellite that was launched by a Long March 2C rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launching Center at 07:05 UT on 2004 July 25. This joint mission is similar to the equatorial orbiter, DOUBLE STAR 1, except that DOUBLE STAR 2 is a polar orbiter. The initial orbital parameters were period 695 min, apogee 38,567 km, perigee 662 km, and inclination 90.1 deg.

The following instruments are onboard:

NUADU (NeUtral Atom Detection Unit) measures the energetic neutral atoms created by collision of energetic ions with the ambient, cold neutral atoms. Of interest are the energetic neutral atoms coming out of the "Ring Current" belt in the magnetosphere.

FGM (FluxGate Magnetometer) is located at the end of a 3.5 meter boom and can sample the field at a rate of 67 samples/s.

PEACE (Plasma Electron And Current Experiment) will count the population of low/medium energy electrons by measuring the number of electron impacts at each energy level and each direction.

LEID (Low Energy Ion Detector): No further information is available.

LFEW (Low Frequency Electromagnetic Wave detector): No further information is available.

HEED (High Energy Electron Detector): No further information is available.

HEPD (High Energy Proton Detector): No further information is available.

HID (Heavy Ion Detector): No further information is available.

Alternate Names

Explorer 2
TC 2
Tan Ce 2

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2004-07-25
Launch Vehicle: Long March 2C
Launch Site: Taiyuan, Peoples Republic of China