The FAST Mission

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-v

   PDF

2. An Overview of the Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) Satellite

   • R. Pfaff, C. Carlson, J. Watzin, D. Everett, T. Gruner

   Pages 1-32

3. The Electron and Ion Plasma Experiment for Fast

   • C. W. Carlson, J. P. McFadden, P. Turin, D. W. Curtis, A. Magoncelli

   Pages 33-66

4. The Fast Satellite Fields Instrument

   • R. E. Ergun, C. W. Carlson, F. S. Mozer, G. T. Delory, M. Temerin, J. P. McFadden et al.

   Pages 67-91

5. Deployment Mechanisms on the Fast Satellite: Magnetometer, Radial Wire, and Axial Booms

   • David Pankow, Robert Besuner, Robert Wilkes, Robert Ullrich

   Pages 93-111

6. The Fast Spacecraft Instrument Data Processing Unit

   • P. R. Harvey, D. W. Curtis, H. D. Heetderks, D. Pankow, J. M. Rauch-Leiba, S. K. Wittenbrock et al.

   Pages 113-149

7. Magnetic Field Instruments for the Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer

   • R. C. Elphic, J. D. Means, R. C. Snare, R. J. Strangeway, L. Kepko, R. E. Ergun

   Pages 151-168

8. Science Operations and Data Handling for the Fast Satellite

   • J. P. McFadden, R. E. Ergun, C. W. Carlson, W. Herrick, J. Loran, J. Vernetti et al.

   Pages 169-196

9. The Time-of-Flight Energy, Angle, Mass Spectrograph (Teams) Experiment for Fast

   • D. M. Klumpar, E. Möbius, L. M. Kistler, M. Popecki, E. Hertzberg, K. Crocker et al.

   Pages 197-219

1.1. MISSION BACKGROUND The scientific objective of this magnetospheric physics mission was a detailed in­ vestigation of the Aurora Borealis, or 'Northern Lights'. The fields experiments (electric and magnetic) were constructed by the University of California at Berke­ ley (UCB), and Los Angeles (UCLA) respectively. The particles instruments were constructed by UCB and the University of New Hampshire in collaboration with Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory. The instrument data processing unit was provided by UCB. The spacecraft bus, telemetry, and launch services were provided by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center SMEX office. The science principal investigator is Dr C. W. Carlson of UCB, and the program is managed by the SMEX office. The UCB design philosophy emphasizes the demonstration of design margins set by peer review. As a result, each boom system was extensively tested at a prototype level before the flight units were manufactured. Additionally, the design, assembly and testing of each boom mechanism was conducted by a single engineer solely responsible for its success.

• design
• instruments
• magnetosphere
• satellite
• space

• NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, USA

  R. F. Pfaff

Policies and ethics