WMO OSCAR | Details for Instrument SESS/SSI/ES-3

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Instrument: SESS/SSI/ES-3

Instrument details

Acronym	SESS/SSI/ES-3
Full name	SESS / Special Sensor Ionospheric Plasma Drift/Scintillation Monitor - 3
Purpose	Observation of ambient electron density and temperatures, ion density, and average ion temperature and molecular weight at satellite altitude
Short description	Assemblage of an electron sensor (Langmuir probe) and an ion sensor mounted on a 2.5 meter boom
Background	Part of the SESS (Space Environment Sensor Suite) package. Follow-on of SEM/SSI/ES-2 flown on previous DMSP satellites
Scanning Technique	In-situ measurement in a sunsynchronous orbit
Resolution	N/A
Coverage / Cycle	N/A
Mass		Power	Data Rate

Providing Agency	DoD
Instrument Maturity	Flown on operational programme
Utilization Period:	2004 to 2025
Last update:	2021-12-09

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

Defense Meteorological Satellite Program - Block 5D-3 (DoD)
- DMSP-F16 (see instrument status) Jan 2004 - 2023
- DMSP-F17 (see instrument status) 2007 - 2025
- DMSP-F18 (see instrument status) Jan 2010 - 2025
- DMSP-F19 (see instrument status) Aug 2014 - Feb 2016

Instrument classification

Solar and space environment monitors
Field or radiowave sensor

WIGOS Subcomponents

Subcomponent 2
Magnetospheric energetic particles and magnetometers
Electric field sensor [in LEO and cross magnetosphere]
Ionospheric electron density sensor [in LEO and cross magnetosphere]
Ionospheric plasma density

Mission objectives

Primary mission objectives

Electron Density
Ionospheric plasma density

Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.

Variable	Relevance for measuring this variable	Operational limitations	Explanation
Electric Field	4 - fair	No specific limitation.	Platform. Electric field
Ionospheric plasma density*	4 - fair	No specific limitation.	Platform. Ionospheric plasma density
Ionospheric plasma velocity	3 - high	No specific limitation.	Platfgorm. Plasma velocity
Electron Density*	4 - fair	No specific limitation.	Platform. Electron density
Ionospheric Scintillation	3 - high	No specific limitation.	Platform. Scintillations detected