Polar
An Earth-observing satellite that, together with its sister spacecraft Wind,
are NASA's contribution to the International Solar Terrestrial Program (ISTP),
an international effort to quantify the effects of solar energy on Earth's
magnetic field. Polar is designed to measure the entry, energization, and
transport of plasma into the magnetosphere. Data from Polar are correlated
with data from ground-based scientific observatories and the other spacecraft
in the ISTP program – Wind, Geotail,
and SOHO (the Cluster
spacecraft would also have participated, but were destroyed during launch)
– to better understand the physical effects of solar activity on interplanetary
space and Earth's space environment.
| launch date |
Feb. 24, 1996 |
| launch vehicle |
Delta 7925 |
| launch site |
Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| orbit |
5,554 × 50,423 km × 86.3° |
| mass |
1,300 kg |
Related category
• SATELLITES
AND SPACE PROBES
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