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Student Nitric Oxide Explorer

The Student Nitric Oxide Explorer was a NASA-funded university-class mission designed, built, and operated by students, faculty, and engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. Its ultraviolet spectrometer and photometers measured nitric oxide, auroral emissions, and solar soft X-rays to study how solar and magnetospheric energy changes Earth's lower thermosphere.

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Identity

Aliases
SNOE
Name
Student Nitric Oxide Explorer
Slug
student-nitric-oxide-explorer
Status
completed

Details

Astronauts
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Description
The Student Nitric Oxide Explorer was a NASA-funded university-class mission designed, built, and operated by students, faculty, and engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. Its ultraviolet spectrometer and photometers measured nitric oxide, auroral emissions, and solar soft X-rays to study how solar and magnetospheric energy changes Earth's lower thermosphere.
End Date
2000-09-30
Launch Site
Outcome
SNOE entered its planned Sun-synchronous orbit, returned science data from its first pass, and completed its campaign of nitric-oxide, auroral, and solar X-ray measurements on September 30, 2000. The spacecraft remained in orbit until its controlled monitoring through atmospheric reentry on December 13, 2003 also informed NASA orbital-debris procedures.
Program
Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative
Start Date
1998-02-26
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Creation Time
July 18, 2026 at 17:07:54 UTC
Updated Time
July 18, 2026 at 17:07:54 UTC

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