SAMPEX

Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer

past Mission

Type

Orbiter

Launch

July 3, 1992

Mission End

June 30, 2004

Objective

Study charged particles affecting Earth's magnetic environment

The first of NASA’s Small Explorer missions, SAMPEX was designed to study charged particles coming from outside Earth’s magnetic environment. It provided important new information about the cosmic abundances of elements, the composition of the nearby interstellar medium, and the processes that drive the Sun, and solar wind's effect on Earth’s upper atmosphere, while turning a planned three-year mission into 22 years.

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