Friday, January 09, 2009

Swarm

IOC: 2010
Total Production: 3
Total Program's Cost: USD$100 million

Unitary Cost: USD$30 million

Origin
Germany
United Kingdom

Contractor/s
EADS

Description: The European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm mission includes three satellites to investigate the Earth's geomagnetic field with the first launch due in 2010. EADS Astrium was awarded an 86 million Euro contract in mid-November 2005 for development and production of three Swarm satellites within 48-month. Swarm will focus on delivering the most detailed data yet on Earth's geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution. Swarm will replace Champ mission which is expected to conclude in 2008. Overall, Swarm is the follow-on to Champ and Cryosat magnetic field exploration satellites.

The Swarm constellation will comprise three satellites in three different polar orbits two flying side by side at a 450 km of altitude orbit and the third satellite at an altitude of 530 km. Using this layout ESA expects to access high-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variations of the Earth's magnetic field. Besides magnetic field measurements Swarm will provide precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements. All in will provide a unique view of the Earth's inside yielding valuable data about its composition and processes of its interior.

Specifications
Performance: Orbit 530 km (286 nm)

Operators

see operators map

Germany

United Kingdom

Image Gallery

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, December 20, 2008

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