TOP > Our Enterprises > Missions > Earth's Magnetosphere Observation JIKIKEN (EXOS-B)
|
Mission Profile
| Name (pre-launch in parentheses) | JIKIKEN (EXOS-B) | |
|---|---|---|
| International Designation Code | 1978-087A | |
| Objectives |
|
|
| Launch | Date | 14:00, September 16, 1978 (JST) |
| Location | Kagoshima Space Center (Uchinoura) | |
| Launch Vehicle | ||
| Configuration | Weight | 90 kg |
| Shape | 60cm high, 75cm long from face to face 50m- and 30m-long antennas with sensors  [Click image for enlargement] |
|
| Orbit | Altitude | Perigee 220 km, Apogee 30,100 km |
| Inclination | 31° | |
| Type of Orbit | Highly elliptical | |
| Period | 524 min | |
| Scientific Instruments | Particle energy monitor Electron beam radiation experiment instrument Data processing unit (DPU) |
|
| End of Operation | 1985 | |
| Operation | From September 23, the antennas started to extend but full extension was prevented by problems such as the rise in temperature of the control circuit. Antenna deployment was stopped when the two pairs of antennas reached the same length. | |
| Results | One month after launch, all the instruments became operable and full scientific observations started. The satellite retrieved data on the mechanism of auroral kilometer radio wave and the formation of plasma pose. JIKIKEN was used to develop a picture of wave-particle interaction in the magnetosphere. Communications and data exchange were also carried out with foreign scientific satellites such as GEOS. In addition, the satellite succeeded in receiving low-frequency signals transmitted from the Antarctic, thus contributing to research on the interaction between plasma and wave in the magnetosphere. | |
Frequency spectrum of plasma wave excited by radio waves transmitted from JIKIKEN. Horizontal axis is frequency. Resonance of gyrofrequency of electrons can be seen. |
