AMPTE-IRM
| Names | AMPTE-Ion Release Module |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Magnetosphere research |
| Operator | NASA / Germany |
| COSPAR ID | 1984-088B |
| SATCAT no. | 15200 |
| Mission duration | 2 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | AMPTE-IRM |
| Spacecraft type | Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) |
| Bus | AMPTE-Ion Release Module |
| Manufacturer | Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics |
| Launch mass | 705 kg (1,554 lb) |
| Power | 60 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 August 1984, 14:48 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta 3924 (Delta 175) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-17A |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 16 August 1984 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 14 August 1986 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Highly elliptical orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 1.09 RE |
| Apogee altitude | 18.83 RE |
| Inclination | 28.60° |
| Period | 44.30 hours |
| Instruments | |
| 3-D Plasma Analyzer Ion Release Experiment Mass Separation Ion Spectrometer (MSIS) Plasma Wave Spectrometer Suprathermal Energy Ionic Charge Analyzer Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer | |
AMPTE-IRM, also called as AMPTE Ion Release Module, was a satellite designed and tasked to study the magnetosphere of Earth, being launched as part of the NASA Explorer program, in collaboration with ESA, and the West German Max Planck institute as part of the AMPTE (Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers) mission. The AMPTE mission was initiated to study the access of solar wind ions to the magnetosphere, the convective-diffusive transport and energization of magnetospheric particles, and the interactions of plasmas in space.