THE DEMETER PROGRAM: MISSION AND SATELLITE DESCRIPTION - EARLY IN FLIGHT RESULTS

摘要

The Demeter program is the first application of the Myriade micro-satellite program conducted by CNES.rnIts main scientific objectives are the detection and characterization of ionospheric electrical and magnetic disturbances in connection with a seismic activity.rnThe Demeter satellite was launched end of June 2004, from Baikonour, aboard a Dnepr launcher, on a nearly polar orbit at a low altitude.rnThe scientific payload has been built by French scientific institutes (LPCE, CESR, CETP) involved in external and internal geophysics and by SSD/ESTEC (ESA). It is composed of several electrical and magnetic sensors, an ion spectrometer, an energetic particle analyser and a Langmuir probe.rnThe Demeter platform is designed in order to offer a high level of performances in terms of power, AOCS, propulsion, data storage and transmission, flexibility. For example the large amount of scientific data is transmitted to the ground station with a high data rate telemetry link in X band.rnThe paper will introduce Demeter. It briefly describes the mission objectives, the system and the satellite. It will focus on the performances required for the mission, the specific design adaptations of the Myriade product for DEMETER and the validation process. Then it will present the preliminary in orbit performances.