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Soyuz Successfully Launches 2 ESA Cluster Satellites
A Soyuz Fregat
launched two ESA Cluster satellites from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 5:39:34
a.m. PDT (1239:34 UTC) July 16. The two spacecraft were placed
into a parking orbit of 240 by 18,000 km. Their final elliptical
orbits ranging between 25,000 and 125,000 km, inclined at 64.8°.
The four 1200 kg
Cluster 2 satellites will fly in formation to study the
interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field
in three dimensions using a suite of 11 instruments. The
instruments will measure electric and magnetic fields; electrons,
protons, and ions; and plasma waves.
The four
spacecraft replace the original four Cluster satellites,
designated FM 1 through FM 4. Those four satellites were lost when
the Ariane 5 booster failed after launch on its first flight in
June 1996.
The four Cluster 2
spacecraft, originally known only by designations FM 5 through FM
8, were given names shortly before launch: Tango, Rumba, Salsa,
and Samba. The two spacecraft launched, FM 6 and 7, were assigned
the names Salsa and Samba respectively. The remaining two
satellites are scheduled to follow in early August.
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