spase-metadata.org SPASE landing pages.

San Marco-DL

ResourceID
spase://SMWG/Observatory/SanMarco-DL

Description

The primary purpose of the San Marco-DL Spacecraft was to explore the relationship between solar activity and thermosphere-ionosphere phenomena. The spacecraft had a planned lifetime of one year. The science investigations used the following five flight sensors: a Drag Balance Instrument (DBI) for determining neutral density, a Wind and Temperature Spectrometer (WATI), an Ion Velocity Instrument (IVI), an Airglow-Solar Spectrometer (ASSI), and an Electric Field Meter (EFI). The satellite was a 96.5 cm-diameter sphere with four 48 cm canted monopole telemetry antennas and three orthogonal pairs of electric field probe sensors (one pair oriented along the spacecraft spin axis). An internal structural cylinder (26 cm diameter) extends slightly through the sphere and was coincident with the satellite spin axis. The power supply consisted of a solar-cell array split into two sections, two rechargeable NiCd batteries, and associated circuitry. The satellite attitude data were provided by a triaxial magnetometer, a horizon sensor, a digital sun sensor, and a star tracker for calibration. A magnetic torquing system was used to control spin rate and spacecraft attitude. The spacecraft reentered on schedule on December 6, 1988. All instruments operated as planned, except WATI which failed to respond to commands after 20 days (fuse failure). The spacecraft performed nominally throughout its lifetime. Final data were acquired at 150 Km during re-entry.

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Details

Version:2.7.1

Observatory

ResourceID
spase://SMWG/Observatory/SanMarco-DL
ResourceHeader
ResourceName
San Marco-DL
ReleaseDate
2026-07-20 16:22:55Z
RevisionHistory
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2019-05-05 12:34:56Z
Note
Only known prior ReleaseDate of the metadata
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2026-07-20 16:22:55Z
Note
Added HelioData InformationURL, Updated to SPASE Version 2.7.1. JWL
Description

The primary purpose of the San Marco-DL Spacecraft was to explore the relationship between solar activity and thermosphere-ionosphere phenomena. The spacecraft had a planned lifetime of one year. The science investigations used the following five flight sensors: a Drag Balance Instrument (DBI) for determining neutral density, a Wind and Temperature Spectrometer (WATI), an Ion Velocity Instrument (IVI), an Airglow-Solar Spectrometer (ASSI), and an Electric Field Meter (EFI). The satellite was a 96.5 cm-diameter sphere with four 48 cm canted monopole telemetry antennas and three orthogonal pairs of electric field probe sensors (one pair oriented along the spacecraft spin axis). An internal structural cylinder (26 cm diameter) extends slightly through the sphere and was coincident with the satellite spin axis. The power supply consisted of a solar-cell array split into two sections, two rechargeable NiCd batteries, and associated circuitry. The satellite attitude data were provided by a triaxial magnetometer, a horizon sensor, a digital sun sensor, and a star tracker for calibration. A magnetic torquing system was used to control spin rate and spacecraft attitude. The spacecraft reentered on schedule on December 6, 1988. All instruments operated as planned, except WATI which failed to respond to commands after 20 days (fuse failure). The spacecraft performed nominally throughout its lifetime. Final data were acquired at 150 Km during re-entry.

Contacts
RolePersonStartDateStopDateNote
1.ProjectScientistspase://SMWG/Person/Nelson.W.Spencer
2.GeneralContactspase://SMWG/Person/M.Diruscio
InformationURL
Name
NSSDC's Master Catalog
URL
Description

Information about San Marco-D/L spacecraft

InformationURL
Name
HelioData
URL
Description

The HelioData mission page provides an overview of the mission and more, such as all SPASE dataset records associated with it.

Location
ObservatoryRegion
Earth.NearSurface.Thermosphere
ObservatoryRegion
Earth.NearSurface.Ionosphere