CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MISSION SUMMARY - IBEX -
Full Name Interstellar Boundary Explorer Status Operational (extended)
Mission Agencies NASA Launch Date 19 Oct 2008
Mission Links mission site EOL Date Oct 2028
EO Portal Info NORAD Catalog #
International Designator
Orbit Type Highly elliptical Orbit Period
Orbit Sense Orbit Inclination 11 deg
Orbit Altitude 200 km Orbit Longitude
Orbit LST Repeat Cycle
Objectives and Applications IBEX, The Interstellar Boundary Explorer, will observe material from the outer solar system called energetic neutral atoms. These atoms are created by a process called charge exchange, in which charged particles are neutralized by nearby atoms to form the energetic neutral atoms. IBEX data will produce an all-sky map of the heliopause every six months. Officials expect to create up to four maps during the mission. The mission requires that the spacecraft fly outside of the influence of Earth's magnetic field to capture energetic particles from the edge of the solar system.
Mission Measurements
Mission Instruments
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