- Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Biaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer
NSSDC ID: 1972-031D-02
Mission Name: Apollo 16 Subsatellite
Principal Investigator: Prof. Paul J. Coleman, Jr.
Description
The Apollo 16 lunar-orbiting subsatellite magnetometer was a boom-deployed biaxial fluxgate instrument. One of its axes lay along the satellite spin axis. The other lay in the spin plane. A sun-pulse generator provided the phase information needed to obtain the direction of the magnetic vector. The spin period was 5.175 s. The dynamic ranges of each sensor were plus or minus 50 nT and plus or minus 100 nT. Otherwise it was identical to the Apollo 15 subsatellite magnetometer (71-063D-02). The instrument's useful life was terminated on May 29, 1972, when the satellite impacted the moon.
Funding Agency
- NASA-Office of Manned Space Flight (United States)
Disciplines
- Planetary Science: Fields and Particles
- Space Physics: Heliospheric Studies
- Space Physics: Magnetospheric Studies
Additional Information
Questions or comments about this experiment can be directed to: Dr. David R. Williams.
Personnel
| Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof. Paul J. Coleman, Jr. | Principal Investigator | University of California, Los Angeles |
Selected References
Coleman, P. J., Jr., et al., The particles and fields subsatellite magnetometer experiment, In -- Apollo 16, Prelim. Sci. Rept., NASA SP-315, 23-1, Wash., DC, 1972.
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