Pair of Cluster II Satellites Successfully Launched
The launch of the first pair of Cluster II satellites occurred at 12:39:34 UTC (18:39 local time) today at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Both spacecraft have been placed in their proper orbits and have begun to relay telemetry to a ground station located in Sweden. Yesterday’s launch attempt was scrubbed when a communication problem with the booster occurred. The next pair of Cluster spacecraft are scheduled for launch from Baikonur on 9 August 2000.
The satellites being launched this summer replace the earlier set which were lost during a launch attempt in June 1996. According to ESA “the goals of the Cluster II mission are identical to those of the original Cluster mission and the instrument complement remains the same. The Cluster II mission is an in-situ investigation of the Earth’s magnetosphere using four identical spacecraft simultaneously. It will permit the accurate determination of three-dimensional and time-varying phenomena and will make it possible to distinguish between spatial and temporal variations.”
Related Links
° ESA Cluster II Launch Delayed Until Sunday, 16 July, SpaceRef
° Cluster II Staus Reports, Spaceflight Now
° Cluster II Launch coverage and webcast
° Cluster II homepage, ESA
