Magion History

MAGION is a name of the serial of small MAGnetospheric and IONospheric satellites manufactured in Czech Republic to be launched as Russian scientific S/C hitch-hikers. These satellites are designed to perform measurements of space plasma parameters by a satellite/subsatellite pair simultaneously in two points which are not far from each other. These satellites are also intended to perform diagnostic researches in the region of actively injecting complex mounted on the main S/C.

The history of the MAGION satellites development spings to the middle of seventieth, when in the frame of the INTERCOSMOS space programme there were started the development of the first MAGION S/C, which was launched into the orbit in the pair with the S/C INTERCOSMOS-18 in 1978.

Spacecraft	Launch date	Weight	Perigee	Apogee	Stabilization
Magion 1	24.10.1978	15 kg	406 km	768 km	magnetic field
Magion 2	28.09.1989	52 kg	500 km	2500 km	magnetic field
Magion 3	18.12.1991	52 kg	438 km	3070 km	magnetic field
Magion 4	03.08.1995	59 kg	1 000 km ^*	198 000 km ^*	spin
Magion 5	11.07.1996	64 kg	1 000 km ^*	20 000 km ^*	spin

^* - initial

1. Magion 1
2. Magion 2
3. Magion 3

Magion 1

MAGION-1 was launched as a part of the Interkosmos-18 experiment and separated from this parent spacecraft on November 14, 1978, with the aim of studying the spatial structure of ELF-VLF phenomena using simultaneous measurements of the two near-spaced satellites. The MAGION-1 experiment went on for almost three years, till the decay date of September 10, 1981.
Both the satellite and subsatellite were launched into orbit by a single vehicle. The separation and activation of MAGION-1 were executed after Interkosmos 18 had been in orbit for three weeks when all the satellite systems had been tested and switched on as part of routine operations. A remote - control (telecommand) spring mechanism imparted an initial relative velocity of 0.2 m/s to MAGION-1 in the direction of the orbital velocity vector. This meant that the satellite and subsatellite drew away from each other at a rate of approximately 60 km per day.
Initial orbital elements: perigee 406km, apogee 764km, inclination 82.96deg., period 96.4min.
MAGION-1 subsatellite had the hape of a prizm with dimentions of 300x300x160mm, from which the individual sensors are aerials protruded. The surface finish of the satellite body was designed with regurd to passive temperature control. The weight of the subsatellite without the separation mechanism was 15kg.

MAGION-1 was equipped with the following main systems:

137MHz telemetry (0.25W) and 400MHz telemetry (1.5W);
telecommand link (24 independent commands, 149MHz band);
power system consisting of solar panels (2.4W), NI-Cd chemical batteries (2x4Ah) and a common DC-DC converter;
magnetic field stabilization;
a housekeeping system (for checking voltage, currents, temperature and for switching of the individual regimes).

Experiments:

electric and magnetic fields from 0.05 to 16 kHz (broadband);
narrowband channels (0.45, 0.8, 1.95, 4.65 and 15kHz);
16-channel frequency analyzer (0.185-15kHz, 60dB);
resonance exciter (0.8 - 8kHz sweep);
electric field 0.01 - 80 Hz;
Geiger-Mueller tubes (electrons above 30 keV) in two directions, parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic orientation axis.

Project scientist of the MAGIC project I.A.Julin
Institute for Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radioware Propagation, Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.
Technical manager of the MAGIC project E.M.Vasilyev vasilyev@mx.iki.rssi.ru
Space Research Institute, Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.

Subsatellite project scientist from Czechoslovakia P.Triska ptr@ufa.cas.cz
Subsatellite technical manager from Czechoslovakia J.Vojta jvo@ufa.cas.cz
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Czech Acad. Sci., Prague, Czech Republic.

Magion 2

MAGION-2 S/C was manufactured as the subsatellite of the ACTIVE S/C (INTERCOSMOS-24) and as the first subsatellite of a series of in- ternational scientific projects ACTIVE, APEX, INTERBALL.
As opposed to the MAGION-1 this S/C series with weight up to 65 kg has the form of a symmetrical polyhedron, has a set of folding booms for sensors , has digital system of data collection and has a gasjet propulsion engine. The scientific goal of the subsatellite of the ACTIVE project was to investigate space structure of physical phenomena which accom- pany plasma injection and to investigate powerful ULF emission into the magnetosphere as in a near (up to 10 km) zone , as well as in middle and far zones of the main S/C on which active injecting devices were mounted.

   Key ACTIVE mission data

   Launch date           September 28, 1989
   Separation date       October 2, 1989
   Orbits:               apogee 2500km
                         perigee 500km
                         inclination 83deg.

MAGION-2 scientific payload:

- magnetic fields, 3 components - magnetometer SGR-7;

- magnetic field fluctuation measurements, 1 component - magnetometer SGR-6;

- wave measurements: 3 components of electric fields, 1 component of magnetic fields and spectrum analyzer - KEM-1 wave complex;

- measurements of the temperature and density of cold plasma - KM-12 and KR-12 instruments;

- Langmuir probe - ZL-A-C;

- radio spectrometer - PRC-2-C;

- measurement of particles - DANI-C, MPC, DOK-A-S, SEA instruments.

Project scientist of the Active project B.I.Shevchenko
Technical manager of the Active project E.M.Vasilyev vasilyev@mx.iki.rssi.ru
Subsatellite technical manager from USSR A.A.Martinson
Space Research Institute, Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.

Subsatellite project scientist from Czechoslovakia P.Triska ptr@ufa.cas.cz
Subsatellite technical manager from Czechoslovakia J.Vojta jvo@ufa.cas.cz
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Czech Acad. Sci., Prague, Czech Republic.

Magion 3

MAGION-3 S/C was manufactured as the subsatellite of the APEX S/C. The APEX project had the following primary objectives:

Simulation and initiation of aurora and radio frequency radiation in the auroral area.
Study of the dinamics of modulated beams and plasmoids in the near - earth plasma.
Study of the nature of electrodinamic relationship of electromagnetic waves in magnetosphere and ionosphere.
Determination of radio emission characteristics of modulated beams of charged particles and plasmoids.
Search for non-linear wave structures of the electromagnetic soliton type in disturbed environment.
MAGION-3 scientific payload was almost the same as for MAGION-2.

   Key APEX mission data
   Launch date           December 18, 1991
   Separation date       December 28, 1991
   Orbits:               apogee 3000km
                         perigee 400km
                         inclination 83deg.

Project scientist of the APEX project V.N.Oraevsky
Institute for Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radioware Propagation, Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.
Technical manager of the APEX project V.S.Dokukin
Institute for Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radioware Propagation, Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.

Subsatellite project scientist from Czech Republic P.Triska ptr@ufa.cas.cz
Subsatellite technical manager from Czech Republic J.Vojta jvo@ufa.cas.cz
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Czech Acad. Sci., Prague, Czech Republic.

Subsatellite technical consultant from Russia Yu.N. Agafonov yagafonov@romance.iki.rssi.ru
Space Research Institute, Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.

MAGION-4 and MAGION-5 spacecraft were designed as part of INTERBALL project. MAGION-4 was launched together with Tail Probe main spacecraft in August 02, 1995.

Some other pictures

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