ESA - Cluster - Archive

ESA title

The mission

Cluster was a constellation of four spacecraft investigating the interaction between the Sun and Earth’s magnetosphere in unparalleled detail. The magnetosphere is our shield against the charged gas that carries particles and magnetic fields outwards from the Sun.

Launch: 16 July and 9 August 2000
Mission end: 8 September 2024
Observed: solar wind, magnetosphere
Orbit: elliptical around Earth’s poles, a few hundred to 125 000 km altitude
Spacecraft names: Rumba, Salsa, Samba and Tango

11 instruments
4 spacecraft
2 decades of operation

Cluster

Cluster II

Enabling & Support

ESA’s Cluster satellites in closest-ever ‘dance in space’

20/09/2013 8658 views 76 likes

Aurora over Norway

Science & Exploration

From solar activity to stunning aurora

15/04/2013 7066 views 36 likes

Tiny turbulent swirls in the solar wind

Science & Exploration

The solar wind is swirly

18/12/2012 15504 views 36 likes

Solar wind entry at low latitudes

Science & Exploration

Earth’s magnetosphere behaves like a sieve

24/10/2012 6700 views 20 likes

Propagation of a solar wind stream

Science & Exploration

Earth’s magnetic field provides vital protection

08/03/2012 77169 views 125 likes

Astrophysical shocks are a diverse collection

Science & Exploration

Cosmic particle accelerators get things going

16/11/2011 5735 views 5 likes

Cluster satellites study the effects of solar wind

Enabling & Support

'Dirty hack' restores Cluster mission from near loss

30/06/2011 4862 views 15 likes

Cluster path through aurora region

Science & Exploration

Cluster encounters a natural particle accelerator

01/02/2011 3273 views 3 likes

Ceremony for the International Academy of Astronautics Laurels 2010

Science & Exploration

Laurels for Cluster-Double Star teams

28/09/2010 2656 views 2 likes

Cluster pair in Soyuz on launch pad, Baikonur, 12 July 2000

Enabling & Support

Ten years flying in formation: The legendary Cluster quartet

01/09/2010 2546 views 3 likes

The Cluster quartet

Science & Exploration

Cluster turns the invisible into the visible

01/09/2010 2149 views 3 likes

The Sun-Earth connection

Enabling & Support

ESA’s pioneering Cluster mission is celebrating its 10th an…

25/08/2010 923 views 0 likes

Four-satellite Cluster mission

Science & Exploration

Cluster's science objectives

16/07/2010 1378 views 4 likes

The four Cluster spacecraft

Cluster's decade of discovery

16/07/2010 3427 views 2 likes

Science & Exploration

Shocking recipe for making killer electrons

11/03/2010 2316 views 1 likes

Cluster II

Enabling & Support

Teamwork, skill enable quick Cluster recovery

19/02/2010 1630 views 3 likes

Looking at Jupiter to understand Earth

Science & Exploration

Cluster and Double Star: bringing the Sun-Earth connection …

18/06/2009 1703 views 1 likes

Mars Express

Science & Exploration

ESA extends missions studying Mars, Venus and Earth’s magne…

10/02/2009 2722 views 0 likes

Earth's oxygen escaping from Earth's polar regions

Science & Exploration

Cluster watches Earth’s leaky atmosphere

28/08/2008 4394 views 3 likes

Cluster II

Science & Exploration

Cluster listens to the sounds of Earth

27/06/2008 3046 views 5 likes

The Cluster quartet

Science & Exploration

Solitary waves in translation

07/03/2008 2053 views 2 likes

Cluster observing the electron diffusion region

Science & Exploration

New discovery on magnetic reconnection to impact future spa…

23/01/2008 2507 views 1 likes

Schematic of Earth’s night-side magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

High-speed beams of charged particles accelerate towards Ea…

06/12/2007 4702 views 7 likes

CME observed by SOHO

Science & Exploration

Solar outburst pulls a magnetic slingshot

21/11/2007 1914 views 1 likes

Artist's impression of the four Cluster spacecraft

Science & Exploration

Cluster monitors convection cells over the polar caps

22/10/2007 1774 views 0 likes

Cluster and other spacecraft

Science & Exploration

Cluster and Double Star uncover more on bright aurorae

10/09/2007 1401 views 0 likes

The Sun-Earth connection

Science & Exploration

Killer electrons in space are now less mysterious

26/07/2007 2496 views 0 likes

Cluster II

Science & Exploration

Pioneering 3D view of near-Earth magnetic 'dance'

29/06/2007 1666 views 1 likes

Cluster II

Science & Exploration

Cluster: ESA spacecraft flying closer than ever for better …

21/06/2007 1462 views 0 likes

Cluster II

Cluster achieves closest-ever separation for two ESA spacec…

20/06/2007 1796 views 0 likes

Bow shock around a star

Science & Exploration

Cluster makes a shocking discovery

14/05/2007 2033 views 0 likes

Aurora before and during a substorm

Science & Exploration

Cluster sees tsunamis in space

12/04/2007 1333 views 0 likes

Solar ‘magnetic carpet’

Science & Exploration

Magnetic fields get reconnected in turbulent plasma too, Cl…

27/03/2007 2345 views 1 likes

Magnetic reconnection observed by Cluster

Science & Exploration

Cluster opens a new window on ‘magnetic reconnection’ in th…

12/03/2007 1654 views 0 likes

Auroral arcs

Science & Exploration

Cluster – new insights into the electric circuits of polar …

09/02/2007 2253 views 1 likes

Cut-away view of Earth’s magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

Magnetic whirlpools feed Earth’s magnetosphere

06/12/2006 3210 views 1 likes

Cluster 2, Artist's view

Enabling & Support

Cluster muscles back from deep hibernation

06/10/2006 1358 views 2 likes

Cluster and Double Star orbits on 8 May 2004

Science & Exploration

Details of solar particles penetrating the Earth’s environm…

03/10/2006 4300 views 2 likes

Aurorae over Canada

Science & Exploration

ESA’s Cluster mission establishes why Earth’s aurorae shine

24/08/2006 1562 views 0 likes

Cluster encompassing a 'magnetic null' region

Science & Exploration

Cluster hits the magnetic bull’s-eye

18/07/2006 1965 views 0 likes

Earth's magnetosphere- an artist's impression

Science & Exploration

Cluster makes an effervescent discovery

20/06/2006 1659 views 2 likes

Sketch of the Earth magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

ESA’s Cluster flies through Earth’s electrical switch

19/05/2006 2759 views 0 likes

Artist's impression of the electrical and magnetic energy event of August 2004

Science & Exploration

Cluster and Double Star witness a new facet of Earth’s magn…

30/03/2006 1555 views 0 likes

Artist's impression of positions of Cluster, Wind and ACE spacecraft

Science & Exploration

Satellites see largest jet of particles created between Sun…

11/01/2006 1483 views 0 likes

Artist's impression of cracks on a neutron star's surface

Science & Exploration

Cluster and Double Star see star crack during massive ‘star…

21/09/2005 2842 views 2 likes

Micro turbulence seen by Cluster

Science & Exploration

From ‘macro’ to ‘micro’ – turbulence seen by Cluster

10/08/2005 3122 views 1 likes

Composite image of CME from SOHO instruments

Science & Exploration

Scientists weather a space storm to find its origin

02/08/2005 1389 views 1 likes

The Cluster quartet

Science & Exploration

Cluster spacecraft reach greatest separation at fifth anniv…

14/07/2005 1119 views 1 likes

Large waves rock regions of the magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

ESA's Cluster sees 'squashed' magnetosphere

31/10/2003 1172 views 1 likes

Cluster pair in Soyuz on launch pad, Baikonur, 12 July 2000

Science & Exploration

Ready to fly: unusual view of Cluster launcher

17/09/2003 465 views 0 likes

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