Double Star
Spacecraft · China
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Chinese earth magnetosphere satellite. 2 launches, 2003.12.29 (Tan Ce 1) to 2004.07.25 (Tan Ce 2). Double Star was a joint ESA - China project to supplement ESA's Cluster satellites in characterizing the earth's magnetosphere.
The mission would consist of two 270 kg satellites - an 'equatorial' spacecraft (DSP-1) to be launched from Xichang in June 2003, and a 'polar' spacecraft (DSP-2) to be launched from Taiyuan in January 2004. The satellites would be equipped with European-built instruments in a Chinese spacecraft bus. Initial interface tests on the engineering models of the European instruments took place in April 2002.
Related
- Family
- Earth, Magnetosphere sat
- Country
- China
- Launch Vehicles
- Chang Zheng 2C
- Launch Sites
- Taiyuan, Xichang, Xichang LC1