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The Double Star Project (DSP)  
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Update time: 2009-09-17
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China's Geospace Double Star Exploration Program (DSP) is mainly used for investigating the trigger mechanism of magnetospheric space storms and physical processes of the disastrous geospace weather during solar activities and interplanetary disturbance, and then establishing the models to describe and predict the spatial and temporal variations of the near-earth space environment.

DSP is the first governmental scientific satellite cooperation program between China and Europe. According to the agreement signed by ESA and CNSA in 2001, the cooperation on the DSP/Cluster II will first realize the six-point space exploration of Geospace in the human history. DSP is an important contribution to the international geospace exploration programs. The cooperation between the DSP and the "Meridian Chain Projection", a key scientific program to be implemented by the Chinese government, will compose national monitoring system for the space environment. Moreover, the cooperation between the DSP and the Cluster II and the other international scientific satellites can be used to perform the coordinated multi-satellite and ground-based observation for the 23-cycle solar activities.

DSP, which marks that China makes great progress in the field of Geospace probing, will accelerate the development of China's Geospace study, further the cooperation in space science between China and other countries.

The DSP is composed of two small satellites, which are TC-1 and TC-2. The orbit of TC-1 is proposed with perigee at 550km, apogee at 66970km and inclination with 28.5deg. TC-1 will detect the processes of geomagnetic space storms in near-earth magnetotail and energy transference from solar wind to magnetosphere through dayside magnetopause. The orbit of TC-2 is proposed with perigee at 700km, apogee at 40000km and inclination with 90deg. TC-2 will detect energy transference form solar wind and near-earth magnetotail to polar region and upper atmosphere, as well as to detect ionized particles transference froom ionosphere to magnetosphere. The orbits of DSP are just in the main active region of magnetospheric storm, substorm and particle storm where not covered by the ISTP missions. Cooperated with each other, TC-1 and TC-2 compose an independent constellation-like exploring system in investigating the geospace storms.

The data reception will be undertaken jointly by Miyun Station of Beijing, Sheshan station of Shanghai, and also Villafranca station of ESA.


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