| Spacecraft | RAX-2 (Radio Aurora Explorer-2) |
|---|---|
| Form factor | CubeSat |
| Units or mass | 3U |
| Status | Was operational until 2013-04-20. |
| Launched | 2011-10-28 |
| NORAD ID | 37853 |
| Deployer | P-POD (Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer) |
| Launcher | Delta II |
| Organization | University of Michigan |
| Institution | University |
| Entity type | Academic / Education |
| Nation | US |
| Launch brokerer | Cal Poly |
| Partners | SRI |
| Oneliner |
Investigate causes of upper atmospheric/ionospheric plasma turbulence by studying large plasma formations. |
| Description |
Investigate causes of upper atmospheric/ionospheric plasma turbulence. Study large plasma formations in the ionosphere, the highest region of our atmosphere. These plasma instabilities are known to spawn magnetic field-aligned irregularities (FAI), or dense plasma clouds known to disrupt communication between Earth and orbiting spacecraft. |
| Failure cause | Both radios are inactive and the silence is caused by an upstream anomaly on the flight computer or power system. |
| Sources | [1] [2] |
| Photo sources | [1] [2] |
| On the same launch |
Last modified: 2023-06-08
