TORONTO – Three European Space Agency (ESA) satellites that will study the Earth’s magnetic field were launched from the Plesetsk spaceport in northern Russian Friday morning.
The satellites, known collectively as Swarm, will monitor Earth’s magnetic field for four years, right from the core to the upper atmosphere.
Though headed by the ESA, Canada has made significant contributions to these satellites.
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According to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), “the Swarm satellites carry a comprehensive range of new-generation instruments to deliver highly accurate data to advance our knowledge of Earth’s magnetic field.”
The Canadian company COM DEV built an instrument that is positioned in front of each satellite. It will measure the density of plasma (a type of electrically-charged gas) and winds in our ionosphere, helping scientists to gain a better understanding of the electric field that envelops Earth. It also carries a thermal-ion imager that was developed by the University of Calgary.
Two of the satellites will fly side-by-side about 150 km apart at the equator at an altitude of about 460 km. The third satellite will orbit at 530 km.
The magnetic field protects us from harsh particles that are ejected from the sun, as well as cosmic radiation.
Scientists hope to gain unprecedented insight into the workings of the magnetic field and understand why it continues to weaken.
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