Fact Sheet
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Double Star follows in the footsteps of ESA's ground-breaking Cluster mission by studying the effects of the Sun on the Earth's environment. Conducting joint studies with Cluster and Double Star increases the overall scientific return from both missions.
Mission Objectives
Double Star is the first mission launched by China to explore the Earth's magnetosphere - the magnetic bubble that surrounds our planet.
Mission Name
As its name suggests, Double Star involves two satellites - each designed, developed, launched, and operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The two spacecraft are called TC-1 and TC-2, where TC stands for 'Tan Ce' which means 'Explorer'.
Spacecraft
Each DSP spacecraft is cylindrical with a 1400 mm height and 2100 mm diameter and is spin-stabilised at 15 rpm. The height of the body-mounted solar array is 740 mm. The configuration of the spacecraft is with two 2.5 m experimental rigid booms and two axial telecommunication antenna booms.
Instruments
Equatorial Double Star
| Instruments | PI |
| Active Spacecraft Potential Control (ASPOC) |
K. Torkar IWF Graz Austria |
| Fluxgate Magnetometer (FGM) |
C. Carr IC United Kingdom |
| Plasma Electron and Current Experiment (PEACE) |
A. Fazakerley MSSL Dorking United Kingdom |
| Hot Ion Analyzer (HIA), sensor 2 of CIS |
H. Rème CESR Toulouse France |
| Part of Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Field Fluctuations (STAFF) + Digital Wave Processor (DWP) |
N. Cornilleau & H. Alleyne CETP Vélizy, France Sheffield University, United Kingdom |
| High Energy Electron Detector (HEED) * |
W. Zhang and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
| High Energy Proton Detector (HEPD) * |
J. Liang and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
| Heavy Ion detector (HID) * |
Y. Zhai and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
Polar Double Star
| Instruments | PI |
| Neutral Atom Imager (NUADU) |
S.McKenna-Lawlor STI Ltd. National University of Ireland Co. Kildare Ireland |
| Fluxgate Magnetometer (FGM) |
T. Zhang IWF Austria |
| Plasma Electron and Current Experiment (PEACE) |
A. Fazakerley MSSL Dorking United Kingdom |
| Low Energy Ion Detector (LEID) * |
Q. Ren and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
| Low Frequency Electromagnetic Wave Detector (LFEW) * |
Z. Wang and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
| High Energy Electron Detector (HEED) * |
W. Zhang and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
| High Energy Proton Detector (HEPD) * |
J. Liang and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
| Heavy Ion Detector (HID) * |
Y. Zhai and J.B. Cao CSSAR China |
(* Instrument originated in China)
Orbit
The Equatorial spacecraft (TC-1) was launched into an elliptical orbit of 570 × 78 970 kilometres, inclined at 28.5° to the equator on 29 December 2003. This enables it to investigate the Earth's huge magnetic tail, the region where particles are accelerated towards the planet's magnetic poles by a process known as reconnection. TC-1's nominal period of operations is expected to be 18 months.
The Polar satellite (TC-2) was launched 25 July 2004 into a polar orbit of 700 × 39 000 kilometres. Its instruments will concentrate on the physical processes taking place over the magnetic poles and the development of auroras. It is expected to operate for at least one year.
Operations Centre
Data is relayed to the ESA ground station at Villafranca, Spain, and the Chinese ground stations in Beijing and Shanghai, China.