Subscribe with SteadyExos D (Akebono)
Exos D [ISAS]
The purpose of the Exos D or Akebono mission was to investigate the particle acceleration regions above the auroral region in order to develop a better understanding of the acceleration mechanism and of its relation to substorm phenomena.
The spacecraft was spin-stabilized with a rotation rate of 7.5 rpm. The attitude was magnetically controlled with spacecraft axis pointing to the sun. All onboard operations such as command and data acquisition were controlled by an onboard computer permitting automatic operations for a full week.
The scientific instrumentation was:
- Electric Field Detectors (EFD)
- Magnetic Field Detector (MGF)
- Very Low Frequency Wave Detectors (VLF)
- Stimulated Plasma Wave and High Frequency Plasma Wave Detectors (PWS)
- Low Energy Particle Detectors (LEP)
- Suprathermal Ion Mass Spectrometer (SMS)
- Velocity Distribution of Thermal Electrons (TED)
- Visible and UV Auroral Television (ATV)
JAXA stopped sending and receiving signals to and from EXOS-D on April 23, 2015 to terminate its operation after more than 26 years in orbit.
| Nation: | Japan |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Research, upper atmosphere, plasma |
| Operator: | ISAS |
| Contractors: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | 4 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries |
| Lifetime: | 17 years (achieved) |
| Mass: | 294 kg |
| Orbit: | 300 km × 8000 km, 75 |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exos D (Akebono) | 1989-016A | 21.02.1989 | Ka LP-M | M-3S-2 [KM-D] |
Launch Sites:
- Ka = Kagoshima Space Center / Uchinoura Space Center, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan
References:
- JAXA / ISAS: Akebono / Exos-D
- NSSDC Master Catalog: Akebono
Further Exos missions:
