The first Small Explorer missions selection, announced April 4, 1989, were to study important questions in space physics, astrophysics and upper atmosphere science.

The selected studies, chosen from 51 submissions, propose the following:

A study of solar energetic particles, anomalous cosmic rays, galactic cosmic rays and magnetoshperic electrons launched in mid-1992. Called Solar, Anomalous and Magnetoshperic Particle Explorer (SAMPEX), this study was proposed by Dr. Glenn M. Mason, University of Maryland, College Park, and 10 co-investigators from United States and German institutions.

An investigation of the processes operating within the auroral region, called Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST), would be launched in mid-1996. Dr. Charles Carlson, University of California, Berkeley, is the principal investigator. The co-investigators are from Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, California, and the University of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles.

A study of how molecular clouds collapse to form stars and planetary systems, called the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS), to be launched early 1999. The prinicipal investigator is Dr. Gary J. Melnick, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, heading a team of 11 co-investigators from institutions across the United States and Cologne, Germany.

The Small Explorer Program is managed by the GSFC Small Explorer (SMEX) Project. Costs for developing such spacecraft and instrument payloads are expected to average $30 million.

Author: Jim Watzin (jim.watzin@gsfc.nasa.gov)
Web Design provided by Swales Aerospace
The last time this page was updated was 11/21/97.