History and Science Motivation for the Van Allen Probes Mission

The NASA Van Allen Probes (previously known as Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP) mission addresses how populations of high-energy charged particles are created, vary, and evolve in space environments, specifically within Earth's magnetically trapped radiation belts. The Probes were launched...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Johns Hopkins APL technical digest 2016-07, Vol.33 (3), p.165-172
Main Authors: Mauk, Barry H, Ukhorskiy, Aleksandr Y, Fox, Nicola J, Kessel, Ramona L, Sibeck, David G, Kanekal, Shrikanth G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Charged particles
In situ measurement
Missions
Orbits
Populations
Radiation belts
Space environment
Spacecraft
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Summary:The NASA Van Allen Probes (previously known as Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP) mission addresses how populations of high-energy charged particles are created, vary, and evolve in space environments, specifically within Earth's magnetically trapped radiation belts. The Probes were launched 30 August 2012 and comprise two spacecraft making in situ measurements for the past several years in nearly the same highly elliptical, low inclination orbits (1.1 x 5.8 R sub(E), 10[degrees]). The initial orbits are slightly different so that one spacecraft laps the other spacecraft about every 67 days, allowing separation of spatial from temporal effects over spatial scales ranging from ~0.1 to 5 R sub(E). The uniquely comprehensive suite of instruments, identical on the two spacecraft, measures all of the particles (electrons, ions, ion composition), fields (E and B), and wave distributions (dE and dB) needed to resolve the most critical science questions. Summarized in this article are the high-level science objectives for the Probes mission, examples of the radiation belts' most compelling scientific mysteries that motivated the mission, and the mission design that targets these mysteries and objectives. The instruments that are now working to deliver these measurements are also addressed.
ISSN:0270-5214