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Aurorae

retired
Science ExplorationLEOCOSPAR 1968-084ALaunched 10/3/1968
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
ESRO 1A
Launch Vehicle
Scout B
Launch Date
10/3/1968
Last Contact
6/26/1970
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
LEO
Altitude
874 km
Inclination
93.76 deg
Dry Mass
85 kg
Total Mass
85 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Science Exploration
Payload Category
SCI
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
European Space Agency (ESA)
Manufacturer
Laboratoire Centrale de Telecommunications
Registry
COSPAR ID
1968-084A
UN Registration
A/AC.105/INF.207
Track
Mentions
4
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

Aurorae on Mars have previously been observed in ultraviolet from orbit by ESA's Mars Express and NASA's MAVEN missions.

GeneralValue 2.8Sep 23, 2025Predicting Martian aurora to safeguard future explorers

Predicting Martian aurorae is difficult, requiring commands to Perseverance to be scheduled three days in advance.

Plan
Capability
Value 2.2
Sep 23, 2025
Predicting Martian aurora to safeguard future explorers

Aurorae occur when solar wind particles from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) collide with atmospheric molecules, producing light.

GeneralCapabilityValue 1.2Sep 23, 2025Predicting Martian aurora to safeguard future explorers

Early failures in detecting aurorae were explained by slow CME velocities.

GeneralCapabilityValue 2.2Sep 23, 2025Predicting Martian aurora to safeguard future explorers