Technical Visits: IRF, satellite instruments

Satellite Instruments

IRF participates in several large international joint projects where both satellites and ground-based equipment are used. In both Kiruna and Uppsala, IRF builds instruments that are flown on satellites and space probes. Data from these instruments help us to better understand plasma-physical processes in the solar wind as well as around comets and planets. The very successful Swedish satellites Viking and Freja, carrying IRF instruments, have increased our knowledge about the northern lights processes in the earth’s magnetosphere.

At present, IRF has well-working instruments onboard satellites orbiting four planets in our solar system – Earth, Mars, Venus and Saturn. In addition, we have an instrument orbiting the moon and two instruments on board a space probe destined to meet with a comet. We are also preparing instruments to be sent off on a journey to Mercury in a couple of years. These instruments have been developed at IRF, or with IRF as the main responsible institute, and researchers at IRF now have unique opportunities to with essentially identical instruments compare the space environment around earth’s closest neighbors – Venus and Mars – and within a foreseeable future these measurements can be compared to those from other heavenly bodies in our solar system.

LECTURERS on SATELLITE INSTRUMENTS: Lars Eliasson, Mats Holmström (science), Magnus Emanuelsson, Johan Svensson, Stefan Karlsson (technology development)
TIME REQUIRED: Approximately half a day or 2-2½ hours.
AVAILABILITY: Year-round, upon request.