Inner Magnetosphere Imager Mission: A New Window on the Plasma Universe

The proposed Inner Magnetosphere Imager mission will obtain the first simultaneous images of the component regions of the inner magnetosphere and will enable scientists to relate these global images to internal and external influences, as well as local observations. We are performing at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center a concept definition study of the proposed mission. The baseline mission calls for an instrument complement of approximately seven imagers to fly in an elliptical Earth orbit with an apogee of seven Earth radii (Re) and a perigee of approximately 4800 km. Several spacecraft concepts are being considered for the mission. The first concept utilizes a spinning spacecraft with a despun platform. The second concept splits the instruments onto two smaller satellites-a spinning spacecraft and a complementary three-axis stabilized spacecraft. Launch options being assessed for the spacecraft range from a Delta-2, for the single- and dual-spacecraft concepts, to dual Taurus launches, for the two smaller spacecraft. An additional option, that of downsizing the mission to fit within the guidelines of the Space Physics Division's new class of solar terrestrial probes, is also being considered.