Double Star Mission
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The Double Star Mission is a satellite based space mission sponsored by the European Space Agency and the China National Space Administration. It is the first space mission launched by China to investigate Earth's magnetosphere.
[edit] Overview
The Double Star mission uses two satellites in Earth orbit - each designed, developed, launched, and operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The first of the two spacecraft (Tan Ce 1, Chinese for 'Explorer 1', also known as TC-1) was launched by a Long March 2C launch vehicle on December 29, 2003 at 19:06 UT. The second spacecraft (TC-2) was launched July 25, 2004 at 07:05 UT, also by Long March 2C. This schedule enables Double Star to operate simultaneously with ESA's Cluster mission.
On October 14, 2007, Tan Ce 1, after being decommissioned, burnt up during reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
[edit] Launch and Orbits
TC-1 was launched into an equatorial elliptical orbit of 570 x 78 970 km with inclination 28.5° to the equator from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. This apogee of this mission was the deepest into space China had ever sent a spacecraft at that time.
The TC-2 spacecraft was launched into a polar elliptical orbit of 700 x 39 000 km, inclination 90° to the equator from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
[edit] External links
- ESA page
- ESA Science and Technology page
- Imperial College Double Star website
- Space Today (names the spacecraft as Probe-1 and Probe-1)
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