Double Star
DSP-2
Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere. Nation: China.

Double Star was a joint ESA - China project to supplement ESA's Cluster satellites in characterizing the earth's magnetosphere. The mission would consist of two 270 kg satellites - an 'equatorial' spacecraft (DSP-1) to be launched from Xichang in June 2003, and a 'polar' spacecraft (DSP-2) to be launched from Taiyuan in January 2004. The satellites would be equipped with European-built instruments in a Chinese spacecraft bus. Initial interface tests on the engineering models of the European instruments took place in April 2002.

Mass: 270 kg (590 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C.

Double Star Chronology
  • 2003 December 29 - Tan Ce 1 - Launch Site: Xichang. Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C. Mass: 350 kg (770 lb). Perigee: 555 km (344 mi). Apogee: 78,051 km (48,498 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg.

    Equatorial member of a pair of Chinese-European magnetospheric research satellites carrying surplus instrumentation from the ESA Cluster program. First CZ-2C launch from Xichang.

  • 2004 July 25 - Tan Ce 2 - Launch Site: Taiyuan. Launch Vehicle: CZ-2C. Mass: 660 kg (1,450 lb). Perigee: 655 km (406 mi). Apogee: 38,574 km (23,968 mi). Inclination: 90.00 deg. Period: 695.10 min.

    Delayed from June, July 20

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