Orbit Inclination: 96.8 deg
Perigee: 351.9 km
Apogee: 578.4 km

View all 1 records related to this platform

- Spacecraft Brief Description -
The Magsat project was a joint NASA/United States Geological Survey (USGS)
effort to measure near-earth magnetic fields on a global basis. Objectives
included ... obtaining an accurate description of the earth's magnetic field,
obtaining data for use in the update and refinement of world and regional
magnetic charts, compilation of a global crustal magnetic anomaly map, and
interpretation of that map in terms of geologic/geophysical models of the
earth's crust. The spacecraft was launched into a low, near-polar, orbit by the
Scout vehicle. The basic spacecraft was made up of two distinct parts: the
instrument module that contained a vector and a scalar magnetometer and their
unique supporting gear; and the base module that contained the necessary
data-handling, power, communications, command, and attitude-control subsystems
to support the instrument module. The base module complete with its subsystems
was comprised of residual Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-C) hardware. The
magnetometers were deployed after launch to a position 6 m behind the
spacecraft. At this distance, the influence of magnetic materials from the
instrument and base module (chiefly from the star cameras) was less than 1 nT.
- Auxiliary Information -
Launch Date and Time : 1979-10-30 14:16:00
Epoch Date and Time : 1979-10-31
Apogee (km or AU): 578.4
Perigee (km or AU): 351.9
Inclination (degree) : 96.8
Orbit Type : Geocentric
Information last updated on 1992-04-13

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/Magsat.html