BackForwardInstrument:  ASPOC (MMS) 

Instrument details
Acronym ASPOC (MMS)
Full name Active Spacecraft Potential Control Devices
Purpose To enable measurement of low-energy ions and electrons by the plasma instruments and eliminate spurious electric fields that can contaminate double-probe measurements
Short description Device emitting ions towards space to neutralise the electrical charge acquired by the platform.
Background Part of a package of instruments to implement the SMART (Solving Magnetospheric Acceleration, Reconnection, and Turbulence) mission
Scanning Technique 4 satellites co-flying in tetrehedral pattern, moving to different positions into the Magnetosphere for 3-D field reconstruction
Resolution N/A
Coverage / Cycle Full magnetospheric volume
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency NASA
Instrument Maturity Flown on an R&D satellite
Utilization Period: 2015 to 2025
Last update: 2016-03-20
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Field or radiowave sensor
WIGOS Subcomponents No WIGOS subcomponents have been defined.
Mission objectives
Evaluation of Measurements