1992-038A
The first SMEX was SAMPEX, the Solar and Anomalous Magnetospheric Particles Explorer. It carried a set of experiments from a team lead by the University of Maryland, and was built in-house at NASA-GSFC.
The 158 kg satellite was a box + 2 panels 0.86m in diameter and 1.5m long. It studied trapped radiation in the magnetosphere, solar flare composition, cosmic rays, and precipitating electrons.
LEICA is a high resolution mass spectrometer for low energy particles in an approximate range of 0.2-10 MeV/nucleon. MAST measures isotopic composition with a mass resolution of 0.3 amu in the 15-300 MeV/nucleon range; PET measures H and alpha in the same range and electrons in 0.4-30 MeV. HILT detects particles in the 10-200 MeV/nucleon range.
Launch was at 1419 on 1992 Jul 3 by Scout S215C from Space Launch Complex 5 at Vandenberg AFB into a 550 x 657 km x 82 deg orbit. SAMPEX was still operating in 1994. POCC was at GSFC with a Science Ops Center at Maryland. In 2010, SAMPEX was being operated by the Bowie State control center in Maryland.
| SAMPEX | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Jul 3 | 1419 | Launch by Scout | SLC5 |
| T+1:24 Stage 1 burnout | |||
| T+1:28 St 1 sep | |||
| T+1:28 St 2 burn | |||
| T+2:09 St 2 burnout | |||
| T+2:20 Fairing sep | |||
| T+2:22 St 2 sep, St 3 burn | |||
| T+3:10 St 3 burnout | |||
| T+9:54 St 3 sep | |||
| 1429 | T+9:59 St 4 burn | ||
| 1429 | T+10:32 Stage 4 burnout | ||
| 1430 | T+11:36 Stage 4 sep | ||
| 1434 | T+14:56 SAMPEX Yo-yo despin | ||
| 1997 Oct | SAMPEX control to Bowie, MD | ||
| 2004 Jun 30 | end of sci ops | ||
| 2004 Dec 27 | Observed large X-ray flare | ||
| 2005 Jan 20 | Observed GLE event | ||
| 2005 Mar | Still operational | ||
| 2010 Aug | Still operational | ||
