| Name | RAX (Radio Aurora eXplorer) |
|---|---|
| Spacecraft type | CubeSat |
| Units or mass | 3U |
| Status | Was operational until 2011-01-19, 2 months. Solar panel degradation. |
| Launched | 2010-11-20 |
| NORAD ID | 37223 |
| Deployer | P-POD (Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer) |
| Launcher | Minotaur IV |
| Organization | University of Michigan |
| Institution | University |
| Entity type | Academic / Education |
| Nation | US |
| Launch brokerer | Cal Poly, ? |
| Partners | SRI, National Science Foundation |
| Oneliner |
Investigate causes of upper atmospheric/ionospheric plasma turbulence by studying large plasma formations. |
| Description |
Investigate causes of upper atmospheric/ionospheric plasma turbulence. Study large plasma formations in the ionosphere, the highest region of our atmosphere. These plasma instabilities are known to spawn magnetic field-aligned irregularities (FAI), or dense plasma clouds known to disrupt communication between Earth and orbiting spacecraft. Will utilize a large incoherent scatter radar in Poker Flats, Alaska (known as PFISR). PFISR will transmit powerful radio signals into the plasma instabilities that will be scattered into space and RAX will be recording the scatter signals with an onboard receiver. |
| Failure cause | Solar panel degradation. |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] |
| Photo sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
| On the same launch |
Last modified: 2023-06-08
