About Magnetospheric Observation Satellite (GEOTAIL)
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Explores the magnetotail to understand the flow of energy from the sun.GEOTAIL is a satellite whose primary objective is to study the structure and dynamics of Earth’s magnetotail. The satellite was named "GEOTAIL" because it explores that magnetotail. ("Geo" is a prefix for words relating to the Earth.) |
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Constructing an information-sharing network with other countries is also an important part of the mission.
GEOTAIL plays a key role in international cooperation.
GEOTAIL, in pursuit of its goal of understanding of the flow of energy and substances from the Sun into the magnetosphere, is part of a collaboration with Russia and other European nations. GEOTAIL plays a major role in the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program, a network of observation consisting of ten participating satellites orbiting in the geospace. Those participating satellites include WIND (a solar wind-observation satellite from NASA), INTERBALL-Tail (a magnetotail high-latitude measurement satellite from IKI), SOHO (the solar and heliospheric observatory from ESA), POLAR (a high-latitude magnetopause-observation satellite from NASA), and Cluster (a satellite from ESA observing the microstructure of the magnetosphere).
Along with AKEBONO, which has already been playing an active role, GEOTAIL also participates in research in collaboration with other satellites of the Inter-Agency Consultative Group for Space Science (IACG).
Lauch date: July 24, 19992
Project Topics
indexThe Magnetosphere Has a Large Intake of Solar Wind Energy
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Solar wind forms the energy source for aurora explosions. How does the Earth’s magnetosphere take in the energy of the solar wind? An international team led by Hiroshi Hasegawa and Naritoshi Kitamura (ISAS/JAXA) analyzed data taken by the US-Japan collaborative mission GEOTAIL and NASA’s MMS satellites and revealed that the interaction between the magnetic fields of Earth and the Sun, or more precisely the phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection, can feed the aurora explosions. JAXA plans to ... |
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Characteristics of Magnetospheric Observation Satellite (GEOTAIL)
Major Characteristics
International Designation Code | 1992-044A | Launch Date | July 24, 1992 | Launch Vehicle | Delta 2 | Location | Cape Canaveral (Florida, U.S.A.) | Shape | Cylinder of 2.2m diameter and 1.6m height Equipped with two 6m-long extendable masts for magnetic sensor and four 50m-long antennas |
Weight | 1,009 kg (at launch) | Orbiter | Double lunar swing-by | Altitude | Perigee 57,000 km, Apogee 200,000 km | Inclination | 29 degrees |
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