Dynamics Explorer was a NASA mission, launched on August 3, 1981 and terminated on February 28, 1991. It consisted of two unmanned satellites, DE-1 and DE-2, whose purpose was to investigate the interactions between plasmas in the magnetosphere and those in the ionosphere. The two satellites were launched together into polarcoplanar orbits, which allowed them to simultaneously observe the upper and lower parts of the atmosphere.
Design
Both spacecraft had a polygonal shape, and were approximately 137 cm in diameter and 115 cm high. Each also had a 200-cm radio antenna and two 6-meter booms which were needed to distance some of the equipment from the main body of the spacecraft. They were stacked on top of each other and launched aboard a Delta 3000booster rocket. Upon reaching orbit, the two spacecraft departed from the booster and entered separate orbits. Dynamics Explorer 1 was placed into a high altitude elliptical orbit, while DE-2 was put into a lower orbit that was also more circular.
Dynamics Explorer 1 Instrumentation
Dynamics Explorer 1 carried the following instruments:
Plasma Wave Instrument, which measured auroral kilometric radiation, auroral hiss, Z-mode radiation, and narrow band electromagnetic emissions.
In addition, there were two Earth-based investigations, Auroral Physics Theory and Controlled and Naturally Occurring Wave Particle Interactions Theory. The later involved broadcasting very-low-frequency/low-frequency signals from a transmitter located at Siple, Antarctica, which were received by the PWI instrument on Dynamics Explorer 1.
As a result of a malfunction in the Delta 3000 booster rocket in which its main engine shut off slightly early, DE-2 was placed into a slightly lower orbit than was anticipated. This was not a serious problem, however, and the spacecraft had lasted its expected lifespan when it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on February 19, 1983. DE-1, being in a higher orbit, continued to collect data until 1991, when the mission was officially terminated.
