Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer
SAMPEX was the first mission in NASA's Small Explorer program. Four particle instruments measured galactic and anomalous cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, and energetic electrons trapped in Earth's magnetosphere, using the planet's magnetic field and the spacecraft's near-polar orbit to distinguish particle populations and their charge states.
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Identity
- Aliases
- SAMPEXExplorer 68
- Name
- Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- SAMPEX was the first mission in NASA's Small Explorer program. Four particle instruments measured galactic and anomalous cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, and energetic electrons trapped in Earth's magnetosphere, using the planet's magnetic field and the spacecraft's near-polar orbit to distinguish particle populations and their charge states.
- Destination
- Near-polar low Earth orbit at approximately 520 × 670 km altitude and 82° inclination for measuring the elemental, isotopic, and charge-state composition of energetic solar, anomalous, galactic, and magnetospheric particles
- End Date
- 2012-11-13
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- SAMPEX entered its near-polar low Earth orbit and operated far beyond its three-year design life. NASA recorded a program completion milestone on June 30, 2004, but the spacecraft continued returning radiation-belt and energetic-particle observations until its orbit decayed; it reentered Earth's atmosphere on November 13, 2012 after nearly twenty years of operation.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 1992-07-03
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sampex/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 17:14:55 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 22, 2026 at 13:49:12 UTC
- Image
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Other
- Affiliations
- Search Name
- Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer SAMPEX Explorer 68
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles