Ionospheric Connection Explorer
ICON was a NASA Explorer mission that studied the ionosphere, the charged upper-atmosphere region where terrestrial weather and space weather interact. Four instruments measured winds, temperatures, airglow, and plasma conditions to show how energy and motion from the lower atmosphere shape near-Earth space.
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Identity
- Aliases
- ICONExplorer 962019-068A
- Name
- Ionospheric Connection Explorer
- Slug
- ionospheric-connection-explorer
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- ICON was a NASA Explorer mission that studied the ionosphere, the charged upper-atmosphere region where terrestrial weather and space weather interact. Four instruments measured winds, temperatures, airglow, and plasma conditions to show how energy and motion from the lower atmosphere shape near-Earth space.
- End Date
- 2022-11-25
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- ICON reached its planned low Earth orbit, completed its primary science objectives in December 2021, and continued collecting observations in an extended mission. Contact was lost on November 25, 2022; after prolonged recovery attempts, NASA concluded the mission, leaving a data record that clarified links between terrestrial weather, the ionosphere, and space weather.
- Program
- Explorer
- Start Date
- 2019-10-10
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/icon/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 18:19:49 UTC
- Updated Time
- July 18, 2026 at 18:19:49 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles