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

Enabling & Support

Ten years flying in formation: The legendary Cluster quartet

01/09/2010 2635 views 3 likes

The Cluster quartet

Science & Exploration

Cluster turns the invisible into the visible

01/09/2010 2205 views 3 likes

The Sun-Earth connection

Enabling & Support

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

25/08/2010 949 views 0 likes

Four-satellite Cluster mission

Science & Exploration

Cluster's science objectives

16/07/2010 1428 views 4 likes

The four Cluster spacecraft

Cluster's decade of discovery

16/07/2010 3539 views 2 likes

Science & Exploration

Shocking recipe for making killer electrons

11/03/2010 2375 views 1 likes

Cluster II

Enabling & Support

Teamwork, skill enable quick Cluster recovery

19/02/2010 1685 views 3 likes

Looking at Jupiter to understand Earth

Science & Exploration

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

18/06/2009 1762 views 1 likes

Mars Express

Science & Exploration

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

10/02/2009 2803 views 0 likes

Earth's oxygen escaping from Earth's polar regions

Science & Exploration

Cluster watches Earth’s leaky atmosphere

28/08/2008 4506 views 4 likes

Cluster II

Science & Exploration

Cluster listens to the sounds of Earth

27/06/2008 3140 views 5 likes

The Cluster quartet

Science & Exploration

Solitary waves in translation

07/03/2008 2134 views 2 likes

Cluster observing the electron diffusion region

Science & Exploration

New discovery on magnetic reconnection to impact future spa…

23/01/2008 2577 views 1 likes

Schematic of Earth’s night-side magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

High-speed beams of charged particles accelerate towards Ea…

06/12/2007 4877 views 7 likes

CME observed by SOHO

Science & Exploration

Solar outburst pulls a magnetic slingshot

21/11/2007 1979 views 1 likes

Artist's impression of the four Cluster spacecraft

Science & Exploration

Cluster monitors convection cells over the polar caps

22/10/2007 1802 views 0 likes

Cluster and other spacecraft

Science & Exploration

Cluster and Double Star uncover more on bright aurorae

10/09/2007 1455 views 0 likes

The Sun-Earth connection

Science & Exploration

Killer electrons in space are now less mysterious

26/07/2007 2564 views 0 likes

Cluster II

Science & Exploration

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

29/06/2007 1727 views 1 likes

Cluster II

Science & Exploration

Cluster: ESA spacecraft flying closer than ever for better …

21/06/2007 1509 views 0 likes

Cluster II

Cluster achieves closest-ever separation for two ESA spacec…

20/06/2007 1859 views 0 likes

Bow shock around a star

Science & Exploration

Cluster makes a shocking discovery

14/05/2007 2077 views 0 likes

Aurora before and during a substorm

Science & Exploration

Cluster sees tsunamis in space

12/04/2007 1375 views 0 likes

Solar ‘magnetic carpet’

Science & Exploration

Magnetic fields get reconnected in turbulent plasma too, Cl…

27/03/2007 2405 views 1 likes

Magnetic reconnection observed by Cluster

Science & Exploration

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

12/03/2007 1710 views 0 likes

Auroral arcs

Science & Exploration

Cluster – new insights into the electric circuits of polar …

09/02/2007 2324 views 1 likes

Cut-away view of Earth’s magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

Magnetic whirlpools feed Earth’s magnetosphere

06/12/2006 3276 views 2 likes

Cluster 2, Artist's view

Enabling & Support

Cluster muscles back from deep hibernation

06/10/2006 1405 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 4437 views 3 likes

Aurorae over Canada

Science & Exploration

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

24/08/2006 1601 views 2 likes

Cluster encompassing a 'magnetic null' region

Science & Exploration

Cluster hits the magnetic bull’s-eye

18/07/2006 2037 views 0 likes

Earth's magnetosphere- an artist's impression

Science & Exploration

Cluster makes an effervescent discovery

20/06/2006 1702 views 2 likes

Sketch of the Earth magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

ESA’s Cluster flies through Earth’s electrical switch

19/05/2006 2834 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 1613 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 1535 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 3051 views 2 likes

Micro turbulence seen by Cluster

Science & Exploration

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

10/08/2005 3191 views 1 likes

Composite image of CME from SOHO instruments

Science & Exploration

Scientists weather a space storm to find its origin

02/08/2005 1440 views 1 likes

The Cluster quartet

Science & Exploration

Cluster spacecraft reach greatest separation at fifth anniv…

14/07/2005 1157 views 1 likes

Large waves rock regions of the magnetosphere

Science & Exploration

ESA's Cluster sees 'squashed' magnetosphere

31/10/2003 1216 views 2 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 633 views 0 likes

Cluster shows that black aurora are a kind of 'anti-aurora'

Science & Exploration

Cluster quartet probes the secrets of the black aurora

10/12/2001 1894 views 1 likes

On 4 November captured by SOHO/LASCO

Science & Exploration

Solar storm blasts Cluster

13/11/2001 1582 views 1 likes

The Earth's magnetotail - Cluster is currently investigating this region

Science & Exploration

Cluster quartet take a trip down Earth’s tail

17/09/2001 2248 views 2 likes

The magnetosphere - a natural protective bubble

Science & Exploration

Cluster's new view of near-Earth space

16/02/2001 2361 views 2 likes

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