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Mission Timeline

Mission Timeline

Distance between the Cluster spacecraft during the mission

 
Launch 1

 

DateTimeDescription
16-07-0012:39ZLaunch 1 (S/C 3 + S/C 2)
 14:14ZAOS Kiruna
 18:12ZSpin-up S/C 3 completed
 18:32ZSpin-up S/C 2 completed
   
17-07-0011:21 / 11:22ZDelta V1 (apogee raising)
18-07-0008:34 / 08:38ZDelta V2 (apogee raising)
19-07-0005:08 / 05:15ZDelta V3 (apogee raising)
   
19-07-0022:58 / 23:11ZDelta V4 (apogee raising)
20-07-0003:40 / 06:54Slew to inclination attitude
20-07-0022:59 / 23:47ZDelta V5 (Inclination Change)

 


Launch 2

 

DateTimeDescription
09-08-0011:13ZLaunch 2 (S/C 1 + S/C 4)
 12:45ZAOS Kiruna
 15:39ZSpin-up S/C 1 completed
 16:04ZSpin-up S/C 4 completed
   
10-08-0015:14 / 09:54ZDelta V1 (apogee raising)
   
11-08-0004:45 / 05:49ZDelta V2 (apogee raising)
   
12-08-0000:10 / 00:46ZDelta V3 (apogee raising)
12-08-0016:33 / 16:36ZDelta V4 (apogee raising)
12-08-0020:40 / 23:45ZSlew to inclination attitude
   
13-08-0016:52 / 16.50ZDelta V5 (Inclination Change)
   
14-08-0018:10ZSlew to operational attitude S/C 4
   
15-08-0005:24ZSlew to operational attitude S/C 1
15-08-00 Declare Main Engine not needed anymore
   
16-08-00 ASPOC and CIS experiment cover release
   
17-08-00 to 21-08-00 Radial Boom Deployment
17-08-00 to 27-08-00 Trim Manoeuvres to achieve spacecraft constellation
   
28-08-00 Start of Instrument Commissioning
   
31-01-01 End of Commissioning

 


Routine Operations

 

DateDescription
01-02-01Mission Commissioning Results Review (MCRR)
01-02-01Start of Routine operations for minimum 24 months
01-02-011st central Polar cusp crossing
(600 km separation)
01-08-011st central Magnetotail crossing
(2000 km separation)
02-02-022nd central Polar cusp crossing
(100 km separation)
02-08-022nd central Magnetotail crossing
(4000 km separation)
01-06-02Start of full orbit coverage
01-02-033rd central Polar cusp crossing
(5000 km separation)
02-08-033rd central Magnetotail crossing
(200 km separation)
01-02-044th central Polar cusp crossing
(300 km separation)
02-08-044th central Magnetotail crossing
(1000 km separation)
01-02-055th central Polar cusp crossing
(1300 km separation)
02-08-055th central Magnetotail crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=1000 km)
01-02-066th central Polar cusp crossing
(10 000 km tetrahedron)
02-08-066th central Magnetotail crossing
(10 000 km tetrahedron)
01-02-077th central Polar cusp crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km // bow shock; C3,C4=450 km perpendicular to bow shock)
02-08-077th central Magnetotail crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=40 km)
01-02-088th central Polar cusp crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km // magnetopause/bow shock; C3,C4=40 km perpendicular to magnetopause/bow shock)
01-05-08C3 spacecraft tilt by 40° during one month
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=40 km)
02-08-088th central Magnetotail crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=3000 km)
01-02-099th central Polar cusp crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4 first at 10 000 km for solar wind and then at 1000 km for auroral acceleration)
01-05-091st Auroral acceleration crossing
(1000 km separation)
02-08-099th central Magnetotail crossing
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=10 000 km; C3,C4=500 km)
01-12-092nd Auroral acceleration crossing
(1000 km separation)
01-08-1010th Magnetotail crossing
(5000 km separation)
01-02-11Solar wind crossing
(5000 km separation)
02-04-11GI - High latitude energetic electrons
01-06-11Solar wind crossing
(5000 km tetrahedron)
01-10-11Auroral acceleration region
01-02-12GI - Solar wind turbulence
01-05-12GI - Magnetopause multi-scale
01-07-12GI - Tail flow braking multi-scale
01-11-12GI - Large scale flank waves configuration
01-01-13 GI - Flux transfer events
01-05-13Auroral acceleration region
01-08-13Inner magnetosphere
(small scale triangle C1,C3,C4 ~10-100 km)
01-11-13GI - Cusp
01-03-14Ring current with Swarm
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=3000 km; C3,C4=800 km)
01-08-14Near plasmasheet
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=7000 km; C3,C4=300 km)
01-12-14GI - Cusp repeat
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=2000 km; C3,C4=1000 km)
01-01-15Bow shock small scales
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=4000 km; C3,C4=6 km)
01-02-15GI - Turbulence
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=4000 km; C3,C4=6 km)
01-03-15GI - Thrusters
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=4000 km; C3,C4=1000 km)
01-06-15GI - Ring current with Swarm
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=4000 km; C3,C4=1500 km)
01-08-15Tail
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=4000 km; C3,C4=500 km)
01-12-15GI - Cusp different local time
(multi-scales: C1,C2,C3=30 000 km; C3,C4=1000 km)
01-01-16GI bow shock 3 km
(multi-scales: largest=22 000 km, smallest=3 km)
01-02-16GI solar wind reconnection
(multi-scales: largest=20 000 km, smallest=100 km)
01-04-16GI bow shock structures
(multi-scales: largest=23 000 km, smallest=4000 km)
01-06-16GI KH waves on dawn flank
(multi-scales: largest=27 000 km, smallest=5000 km)
01-08-16Tail
(multi-scales: largest=7000 km, smallest=200 km)
01-12-16Magnetopause
(tetrahedron: 3700 km)
01-04-17Magnetopause
(tetrahedron: 3700 km)
01-08-17Tail
(multi-scales: largest=7000 km, smallest=1000 km)
01-12-17Exterior cusp different local time
(multi-scales: largest=22 000 km, smallest=6000 km)
01-02-18Jet breaking region at perigee
(multi-scales: largest=12 500 km, smallest=2500 km)
01-10-18High and low latitude chorus
(multi-scales: largest=67 000 km, smallest=3 km)
01-02-19Solar wind local monitor and magnetopause
(multi-scales: largest=54 000 km, smallest=9000 km)
01-08-19Magnetotail lobes and plasmasheet
(multi-scales: largest=40 000 km, smallest=120 km)
01-12-19Exterior cusp sampled in altitude and local time
(multi-scales: largest=32000 km, smallest=4300 km)
01-01-20ECS Northern polar cusp gradients
(multi-scales: largest=13500 km, smallest=3000 km)
01-05-20ECS Southern polar cusp gradients
(multi-scales: largest=11000 km, smallest=2600 km)
01-08-20ECS Plasmasheet magnetic holes
(multi-scales: largest=13500 km, smallest=3000 km)
01-12-20ECS Cluster-MMS magnetopause conjunctions
(multi-scales: largest=14500 km, smallest=70 km)

 

Last Update: 22 July 2020
16-Dec-2025 23:06 UT

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