Swarm: from Earth to Magnetosphere One Year after Launch

Abstract:

The ESA Earth Observation Swarm satellite mission, a constellation of three satellites to measure the Earth’s magnetic and electric fields as well as the neutral environment, was launched on November 22, 2013. The mission delivers observations that provide new insight into the Earth system by improving our understanding of the Earth’s interior as well as the near Earth electro-magnetic environment. The unprecedented high-accuracy and high spatial resolution measurements of the strength, direction and time variations of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, provide the required observations to model the various sources of the geomagnetic field.

The three satellites fly in a constellation. Swarm Alpha and Charlie are orbiting almost next to each other at a distance of about 150 km at the equator and Charlie is approximately 10 seconds delayed relative to Alpha. At the start of the science phase they were injected at an altitude of 462 km and an inclination of 87.35°, in naturally decaying orbits. Swarm Bravo started in a higher orbit at 510 km with an inclination of 87.75°. This causes a relative drift between Alpha/Charlie and Bravo resulting in a local time difference of about 6 hours in the third year of the mission. Different objectives of the mission may benefit more during different phases of the constellation. This presentation will include the mission status a year after launch and focus on the products, studies and results related to the external fields.