Equator-S

was a low-cost mission designed to study the Earth's equatorial magnetosphere out to distances of 67000 km and it formed an element of the closely-coordinated fleet of satellites that comprise the IASTP program. It was based on a simple spacecraft design and carried a science payload consisting of advanced instruments that were developed for other IASTP missions. Unique features of Equator-S were its nearly equatorial orbit and its high spin rate.

The satellite and major parts of the experiment in which the institute was involved were designed and built at MPE.

Equator-S was launched as an auxiliary payload on an Ariane-4 on December 2nd, 1997. The mission was intended for a two-year lifetime but ended premature after the failure of the primary and redundant on-board processor system on May 1st 1998.

Satellite
Launch	December 2, 1997
End of Mission	May 1, 1998
Location	Earth Orbit

MPE Participation:

Magnetic Field Instrument (MAM)
Electron Drift Instrument (EDI)
Satellite