CHAMP

 2000-039A

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DARA's Champ (Challenging Minisatellite Payload) will study the Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields from a 500 km orbit. The program is managed by the Potsdam GFZ geophysics center, and built by Daimler Chrysler Aerospace Jena Optronic GmbH (DJO) of Jena, Germany; it was intended partly to spur technology development in the former East Germany. It will be launched Jul 1999 by Kosmos-3M from Plesetsk by Cosmos International GmbH (OHB/Polyot). It uses the Astrium/Friedrichshafen Flexbus minisatellite platform and is the first test of GPS altimetry (where GPS signals are received after reflection of the ocean surface).

Mass is 522 kg. Size is 0.75 h 1.6d 4.3l 8.3l with boom. 443 x 460 x 87.3

CHAMP
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
2000 Jul 15	1200:00	Launch
		T+2:13 St 1 sep
		T+2:13 St 2 MES-1
		T+2:30 Fairing sep
		T+8:10 St 2 MECO-1
		St 2 MES-2
		T+31:55 St 2 MECO-2
	1232	T+32:18 St 2 sep

Payload:

• Laser retroreflector

• Star sensors (4)

• Sun sensors (3)

• GPS altimeter

• Magnetometers (3)

• Ion sensor

• Accelerometer (ONERA)