Geotail Prelaunch Mission Operation Report

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National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington, D.C.20546

Reply to Attn of: ss

TO: DISTRIBUTIONFROM: S/Associate Administrator for Space Science and ApplicationsSUBJECT: Transmittal of Geotail Prelaunch Mission Operation Report

I am pleased to forward with this memorandum the Prelaunch MissionOperation Report for Geotail, a joint project of the Institute of Space andAstronautical Science (ISAS) of Japan and NASA to investigate thegeomagnetic tail region of the magnetosphere. The satellite was designed anddeveloped by ISAS and will carry two ISAS, two NASA, and three jointISAS/NASA instruments. The launch, on a Delta II expendable launchvehicle (ELV), will take place no earlier than July 14, 1992, from CapeCanaveral Air Force Station. This launch is the first under NASAs MediumELV launch service contract with the McDonnell Douglas Corporation.Geotail is an element in the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP)Program. The overall goal of the ISTP Program is to employ simultaneousand closely coordinated remote observations of the sun and in situobservations both in the undisturbed heliosphere near Earth and in Earthsmagnetosphere to measure, model, and quantitatively assess the processes inthe sun/Earth interaction chain. In the early phase of the Program,simultaneous measurements in the key regions of geospace from Geotail andthe two U.S. satellites of the Global Geospace Science (GGS) Program, Windand Polar, along with equatorial measurements, will be used to characterizeglobal energy transfer. The current schedule includes, in addition to the Julylaunch of Geotail, launches of Wind in August 1993 and Polar in May 1994.Launches of the European Space Agencys complementary Solar andHeliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Cluster missions are scheduled for July-1995 and December 1995, respectively.

Enclosure


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IUASANational Aeronautics andSpace Adminlst rat onMission Operation ReportOFFICE OF SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS Report No. S-41 8-92-01

International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Program(ISTP)

Geotail

___.-_--__-..- -.._. _-I.-.-.LI-L- --_____11-..._


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Foreword

MISSION OPERATION REPORTS are published for the use of NASA SeniorManagement, as required by NASA Headquarters Management InstructionHQMI 8610.1 C, effective November 26, 1991. The purpose of these reports isto document in advance critical discriminators selected to enable assessment ofmission accomplishment.Prelaunch reports are prepared and issued for each flight project just prior tolaunch. Following launch, updating (Post Launch) reports are issued to providemission status and progress in meeting mission objectives.This report is somewhat technical and is prepared for personnel havingprogram/project management responsibilities. The Public Affairs Divisionpublishes a comprehensive series of reports on NASA flight missions. Theseless technical reports are available for dissemination to the news media.

PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY:Executive Support Office (Code JA)Office of Management Systems and FacilitiesNASA Headquarters


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Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . 1MISSION OBJECTIVES . 2MISSION DESCRIPTION . 3MISSION SEQUENCE . 4SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION . 6INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTIONSISAS InstrumentsHigh-Energy Particles (HEP) . . 8

Low-Energy Particles (LEP) . . 8NASA InstrumentsComprehensive Plasma Investigation (CPI) . . . 8Energetic Particle and Ion Composition (EPIC) . . . . 9ISAS/NASA InstrumentsMagnetic Fields Measurement (MGF) . . . . 9Plasma Waves Investigation (PWI) . . . 9Electric Fields Detector (EFD) . . 10LAUNCH VEHICLE DESCRIPTION . 1 1MISSION SUPPORT . 14MISSION MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY . 16MISSION COSTS . 18LIST OF ACRONYMS . 19


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List of Figures

Figure 1 Geotail Spacecraft ....................................................................... 7Figure 2 Delta II 6925 Launch Vehicle ..................................................... 12

List of Tables

Table 1 Geotail Sequence of Events ..................................................... 5Table 2 . Delta II 6925 Vehicle Characteristics ...................................... 13


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Geotail mission is a joint effort between the Institute of Space andAstronautical Science (ISAS) of Japan and the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration (NASA) to investigate the geomagnetic tail region of themagnetosphere. Geotail will measure global energy flow and transformation inthe magnetotail to increase understanding of fundamental magnetosphericprocesses, including the physics of the magnetopause, the plasma sheet, andreconnection and neutral line formation. These objectives require spacecraftmeasurements in two orbits: a nightside double lunar swingby orbit out todistances of 220 Earth radii (RE) and a mid-magnetosphere orbit of 8 x 32 RE.Geotail will be placed into the initial distant tail orbit for approximately 2 l/4years and then maneuvered to the 8 x 32 RE orbit where it will operate for theremainder of its lifetime. The Geotail satellite has been designed anddeveloped by ISAS, and will be launched under a NASA launch servicescontract with the McDonnell Douglas Corporation on a Delta II expendablelaunch vehicle (ELV) no earlier than July 14, 1992. The Geotail payloadincludes scientific instruments provided by ISAS and NASA.The Memorandum of Understanding between ISAS and NASA for the Geotailmission was signed in December 1989, following the Exchange of Notesbetween the Governments of Japan and the U.S. in September 1989. Geotail,together with the two missions of NASAs Global Geospace Science (GGS)Program (Wind and Polar) and supporting equatorial measurements, willprovide simultaneous data to enable study of the solar wind input to themagnetosphere and key elements of the magnetospheric response:geomagnetic tail energy storage, ring current energy storage, and ionosphericenergy input. Two European Space Agency/NASA cooperative missions, Solarand Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Cluster, to be launched in the mid-1990s, will complement these measurements and improve our understandingof the physics of solar-terrestrial relations. Programmatically, the NASAcontributions to Geotail, SOHO, and Cluster are referred to as the CollaborativeSolar-Terrestrial Research (COSTR) Program. Together, NASAs GGS andCOSTR Programs are known as the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics(ISTP) Program.


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MISSION OBJECTIVES

The objective of the Geotail mission is to acquire in situ data defining the fieldsand particles environments of the geomagnetic tail region of themagnetosphere. The planned mission lifetime is three years. Measurementswill be made for approximately 2 l/4 years out to 220 RE while the spacecraft isin a nightside double lunar swingby orbit. The spacecraft will then bemaneuvered to an orbit of 8 x 32 RE where it will acquire data in the near tail forthe remainder of its lifetime.The Geotail mission science objectives are:

l Determine the overall plasma electric and magnetic field characteristicsof the distant and near geomagnetic tail.l Help determine the role of the distant and near-earth tail in substormphenomena and in the overall magnetospheric energy balance andrelate these phenomena to external triggering mechanisms.l Study the processes that initiate reconnection in the near-earth tail andobserve the microscopic nature of the energy conversion mechanism inthis reconnection region.l Determine the composition and charge state of plasma in thegeomagnetic tail at various energies during quiet and dynamic periods-and distinguish between the ionosphere and solar wind as sources ofthis plasma.l Study plasma entry, energization, and transport processes in interactionregions such as the inner edge of the plasma sheet, the magnetopause,and the bow shock, and investigate boundary layer regions.

Michael A. CalabreseProgram Manager, GeotailSpace Physics Division

George L. WithbroeDirectorSpace Physics Division

Elden bhippleProgrv Scientist, GeotailSpaTe Physics Divisionn n

Associate Administrator .IOffice of Space Science and Applications

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MISSION DESCRIPTION

Geotail is scheduled for launch on a Delta II ELV no earlier than July 14, 1992,from Launch Complex-17 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). TheGeotail spacecraft is a spin stabilized spacecraft (20 rpm nominal spin rate)designed and developed by ISAS. The spacecraft will be placed initially into adouble lunar swingby orbit having a variable apogee radius up to 220 RE onthe nightside of the earth and then maneuvered to an orbit of 8 x 32 RE with 8inclination to the ecliptic plane. The double lunar swingby orbit will bemaintained for approximately 27 months followed by at least 9 months in the8 x 32 RE orbit.Baseline NASA mission operations will be conducted for approximately 27months. However, extended operations support will be requested to coincidewith the mission operation phases of the remaining Geotail mission and otherISTP mission elements, assuming the Geotail spacecraft and instrumentsremain healthy and funding is continued by ISAS and NASA. Following orbitaloperations, up to 2 years of additional data processing and analysis will beprovided. End of mission is defined as the termination of mission operations.The Geotail spacecraft will carry two ISAS-developed instruments, two NASA-developed instruments, and three joint NASA/ISAS instruments. The NASAand a subset of the ISAS instruments will be supported by the NASA ISTPCentral Data Handling Facility (CDHF), located at the NASA Goddard SpaceFlight Center (GSFC), and Remote Data Analysis Facilities (RDAF), located atthe NASA Principal Investigator (PI) facilities.


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Table 1 Geotail Sequence of Events

EventLiftoffMach 1Maximum Dynamic Pressure6 Solid Motors Burnout3 Solid Motors IgnitionJettison 3 Solid MotorsJettison 3 Solid Motors3 Solid Motors BurnoutJettison 3 Solid MotorsMain Engine CutoffStage I-II SeparationStage II IgnitionFairing JettisonFirst Cutoff-Stage IIBegin Reorientation ManeuverEnd Reorientation ManeuverStage II Restart IgnitionSecond Cutoff-Stage IIStart Pulse Discrete for accelerometerFire Spin RocketsStage 11-111eparationStage III Ignition-Nutation Control System (NCS)

EnableStage III BurnoutSpacecraft Separation-NCS DisableYo DeploymentStage II Depletion Burn

Time(seconds)0.0

37.353.055.560.561.562.5

116.1122.0264.5272.5278.0324.0653.0705.0795.0915.3948.5982.4998.5

1002.41039.41126.51238.51241.45400.0

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SPACECRAFT DESCRlPTlON

The Geotail spacecraft is a spin stabilized spacecraft utilizing mechanicallydespun antennas. The diameter of the spacecraft is approximately 2.2 meters(7.2 ft) with a height of 1.6 meters (5.2 ft). The wet weight of the spacecraft isapproximately 1009 kg (2220 Ibs) including 360 kg (792 Ibs) of hydrazine fuel.The design life of Geotail is three years. Figure 1 shows the Geotail spacecraftin its operational configuration.The power supply subsystem consists of the body-mounted solar cell panel, thepower converter and distributor, the Power Control Unit, Battery Charge ControlUnits for each battery, and Nickel-Cadmium (16 cells series) batteries(3xl9AH). Total end of life available power for spacecraft operations will be300 watts from the beginning of life average generating power of 350 watts.The Communications Subsystem consists of two high gain antennas (HGA), twomedium gain antennas (MGA-X, S), and two low gain antennas (LGA) thatprovide a total of three channels of communications through rotary joints (HGA-S, X, LGA-A) and radio frequency switches. The LGA-B and MGA-X, S aremounted on the lower side.The command and data handling system (C&DHS) consists of the CommandDecoder to demodulate the 1000 b/set phase shift key commands, and theData Handling Unit that processes the real-time discrete commands, blockcommands, programmed commands, and modulates the pulse codemodulation telemetry (real-time and playback). Two data recorders and ahousekeeping 128 channel status monitor are contained in the C&DHS.The attitude and orbit control subsystem (AOCS) consists of spin-type sunaspect sensors, the star scanner, the steerable horizon crossing indicator,accelerometers, and reaction control system (RCS) actuators to keep thespacecraft spin-stabilized with the spin axis perpendicular to the ecliptic planeand to maintain a spin rate of 20 rpm. The AOCS also includes the attitude andorbit control electronics which contains the RCS thruster control, the attitudeand orbit control processor, the nutation damper, the spin ripple damper, andthe RCS with eight 23 Newton (5.2 lb) and four 3 Newton (0.7 lb) thrusters. Fourtear drop type tanks hold about 332 kg (730 Ibs) of N2Hq fuel.The despun control system consists of direct current brushless motors to controlthe spin rate from 10 to 30 rpm with a pointing angle resolution of 0.08 degree.Primary use of this system is for pointing of the HGA antenna elements tomaintain communications link margins with the ground system.The structure and thermal control subsystem consists of the thrust tube anddouble flat deck materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics, andaluminum alloy with active (heaters) and passive (thermal blankets) thermalcontrol system.

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Mast-S/

\ P High GainAntenna-S LowGain High Gain / Wire Antenna-B

Medium GainAntenna

7\ Probe Antenna-A

Figure 1 Geotail Spacecraft7


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INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTIONS

The Geotail mission will provide a full range of plasma physics fields andparticles instrumentation to measure the flow of energy and its transformation inthe geomagnetotail. The mission will also clarify the mechanisms of input,transport, storage, release, and conversion of mass, momentum, and energy inthe geomagnetotail. Geotail will carry seven instruments, including two ISASinstruments, two NASA instruments and three joint ISAS/NASA instruments.Each Geotail instrument is described below.ISAS INSTRUMENTSHigh-Energy Particles (HEP)M. Doke, Waseda UniversityMeasurements of high-energy particles of up to 2.5 MeV for electrons, 3.5 MeVfor protons, and 210 MeV per charge for ions can indicate plasma boundarysurfaces and reflect whether magnetic field lines are open or closed. Thecomposition and charge state of energetic particles provide rich information onwhere particles originate, and different solar events produce different energetic-particle signatures. Small, hot sites in the corona produce samples rich inhelium ions, for example. The origin and acceleration of galactic cosmic raysand their modulation in our galaxy will also be investigated.Lo w-Energy Particles (L EP)Principal Investigator: T. Mukai, ISASLow-energy electrons from 6 eV to 36 keV and ions from 7 eV to 42 keV percharge will be observed in the magnetotail and in the interplanetary medium tostudy the nature and dynamics of magnetotail plasmas, analyze the plasmaconditions under which particle acceleration takes place, and study plasmacirculation and its variability in response to fluctuations in the solar wind and inthe interplanetary medium. Particles from Earths ionosphere will be identified,and the entry of plasmas into the magnetosphere from the magnetosheath willbe studied to improve our understanding of open versus closedmagnetospheres.NASA INSTRUMENTSComprehensive Plasma Investigation (CPI)Principal Investigator: L. Frank, University of IowaCPI will obtain complete three-dimensional plasma measurements in Earthsmagnetotail. Plasma parameters-density, temperatures parallel andperpendicular to the magnetic field, flow velocity, heat flux, and field-alignedcurrent density-will be correlated with the magnetic field, plasma waves,energetic particles, and aurora1 imaging data to determine the magnetotail

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plasma dynamics. Studies of composition will be made to distinguish theplasma source and the mechanisms and efficiency of the coupling of the solar-wind energy (measured by Wind instruments) into the magnetosphere as afunction of the upstream solar-wind conditions.Energetic Particle and Ion Composition (EPIC)Principal Investigator: D. Williams, Applied Physics LaboratoryThe EPIC investigation uses an ion composition spectrometer and a telescopeto measure charge state, mass, and energy of ions. One part of theinvestigation measures ions from 50 keV to 3 MeV, and the other part measuresions from 10 to 230 keV per charge. These measurements will be used to studythe relative importance of ion sources and mechanisms for acceleration,transport, and loss of particles. The formation and dynamics of magnetosphericboundary layers and their influence on magnetospheric behavior will bestudied. Especially important will be determination of particle sources in large-scale structures such as plasmoids.JOINT ISAS/NASA INSTRUMENTSMagnetic Fields Measurement (MGF)Principal Investigator: S. Kokobun, University of TokyoLead U.S. Co-Investigator: M. Acuna, NASAIGSFCInformation about the dynamics of the transport of mass, momentum, andenergy between the magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma can be inferredfrom monitoring changes in the magnetic-field configuration in various regions.MGF measurements as rapid as 16 samples per second in the near-Earth tailplasma should provide more information about mechanisms (for example, field-line merging) that transfer energy and trigger substorms. MGF will investigatemagnetic merging in the magnetotail, which is thought to produce a bubble ofplasma, called a plasmoid, that flows down the tail during the active periods.Also, MGF will observe the distant tail to determine its magnetic-field structure-whether well ordered or filamentary, for example-and its dynamic changesassociated with substorms. MGF contains the Geotail Inboard Magnetometerprovided by the United States.Plasma Waves Investigation (PWI)Principal Investigator: H. Matsumoto, Kyoto UniversityLead U.S. Co-Investigator: R. Anderson, U. of IowaDuring Geotails excursions from the near Earth to the distant tail regions, PWIwill measure plasma waves in the frequency range from 5 Hz to 800 kHz tosample wave phenomena related to plasma dynamics in the different regionson various scales within its range. These phenomena include magnetic-field-line merging, moving plasmoids, and particle acceleration via wave-particleinteraction within the magnetotail. PWI contains the Multi-Channel Analyzerprovided by the United States.

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Electric Fields Detector (EFD),Principal Investigator: K. Tsuruda, ISASU.S. Co-Investigator: F. Mozer, U. of Cal., BerkeleyGeotails measurement of the electric field in the tail is key to developing atheory about the formulation of the magnetotail. Electric fields in the near-Earthmagnetosphere are closely coupled with the ionospheric electric field. EFD willstudy the coupling of these fields, especially during substorms, using electric-field antennas sampling at 64 samples per second and an electron beamtechnique at 2 samples per spin. In addition, the merging of magnetic fields inthe plasma sheet generates inductive and stochastic electric fields that help toaccelerate particles, which can be measured by other instruments on board thespacecraft.

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Figure 2 Delta II 6925 Launch Vehicle


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MISSION SUPPORT

Control of the Geotail spacecraft is the responsibility of ISAS. The SagamiharaSpacecraft Operations Center (SSOC), which is an ISAS facility, will beresponsible for all on-orbit spacecraft control, following completion of the launchphase and separation from the launch vehicle upper stage. The SSOC willmonitor the performance of the spacecraft, maintain flight data bases, andperform command activities associated with the spacecraft. In addition, theSSOC will support and coordinate investigator operations and monitorinstrument status from a safety viewpoint, and take corrective action whennecessary.Prime ISAS ground station support for Geotail command uplink and real-timetelemetry downlink will be provided by the Usuda Deep Space Center. Backupsupport in Japan will be provided by the Kagoshima Space Center.Communication with the spacecraft will be via S-band for UplinWdownlink andX-band for downlink. The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) will receive allonboard recorded dump telemetry data via S-band (and X-band if necessary insome contingency situations). During the first month of operations andperiodically thereafter, the DSN stations (Goldstone, CA, Canberra, Australia,and Madrid, Spain), support facilities , and the Network Operations ControlCenter (NOCC) will also provide S-band tracking (radiometric) and orbitdetermination support.The GSFC Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate (Code 500) willprovide and operate the necessary ground systems for the capture, processingand distribution of the on-board recorded science instrument telemetry data.Data received by the DSN stations will be routed from the DSN NOCC via theNASA Communications System to the GSFC Code 500 Data Capture Facility,where it will be captured and processed to Level 0. Instrument key parameterdata processing for the playback data and on-line data access will be furnishedby the ISTP dedicated CDHF, located at GSFC. Data analysis and theoreticalstudies will be conducted by members of the ISTP science team through the Plsand Co-Investigators of the Geotail science instruments. U.S. instrumentoperation plans and command sequences will be electronically provided toISAS from the PI RDAFs.The ISTP Science Planning and Operations Facility (SPOF) under the directionof the ISTP Project Scientist will generate coordinated science planrecommendations for all ISTP spacecraft. These plans will be made availableto the Geotail science planners at ISAS for consideration in Geotail spacecraftoperations. The SPOF is not a requirement for the Geotail launch.Initially, scheduling of DSN coverage for Geotail will be arranged directly byISAS. After the launch of the Wind spacecraft (August 1993), an ISTP-uniqueDSN scheduling group, located within the GGS Payload Operations ControlCenter, will receive DSN schedule requests from various ISTP mission

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MISSION MANAGEMENT RESPONSlBlLITY

Overall d irection and evaluation of the NASA space physics program is theresponsibility of the NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science andApplications, who has delegated authority for the direct management of thisprogram to the Director, Space Physics Division . The NASA Geotail ProgramManager, in turn, has been delegated the authority by the Director, SpacePhysics Division for ensuring the performance of all functions necessary to fulfillNASA responsibilities with respect to the Geotail mission. The NASA ProgramManagers counterpart at ISAS is the Geotail Project Manager, who isresponsible for all ISAS responsibilities with respect to the Geotail mission.The lead NASA center for Geotail is the Goddard Space Flight Center.Responsibility for management of the Project has been assigned to the ISTPProject Office within the Flight Projects Directorate.NASA HEADQUARTERSAssociate Administrator, Space Scienceand Applications Lennard A. Fisk

Director, Space Physics Division George L. WithbroeProgram Manager, Geotail Michael A. CalabreseProgram Scientist, GeotailDirector, Unmanned Launch Vehiclesand Upper Stages

Elden WhippleCharles R. Gunn

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTERDirector John M. KlinebergDirector, Flight Projects Directorate Vernon J. WeyersProject Manager, Geotail Kenneth 0. SizemoreProject Scientist, ISTPDeputy ISTP Project Scientist, Geotail

Mario H. AcunaDonald H. Fairfield

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INSTITUTE OF SPACE AND ASTRONAUTICAL SCIENCE OF JAPANDirector-General Ryojiro AkibaProgram Manager, Geotail Atsuhiro NishidaProject Manager, Geotail Kuninori UesugiProject Engineer, Geotail lchiro NakataniProject Scientist, Geotail Toshifumi MukaiSystems Manager, Geotail Masashi HashimotoGround Systems Manager, Geotail Koji Yokoyama

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MISSION COSTS

NASA project costs of the Geotail project will total approximately $80 million,including about $34 million for instrument development and the balancecovering launch services, ground system, and data analysis. ISAS project coststotal approximately the same amount, including about $51 million for spacecraftdevelopment (including protomodel), $11 million for science instruments, andthe balance for mission operations, data acquisition, and data analysis.

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Documents

Geotail Prelaunch Mission Operation Report