Cassini Scalar Magnetometer Data: Saturn Mission Cruise and Tour Phases

Magnetic-field data acquired by the Cassini spacecraft's helium magnetometer in scalar mode during its mission to Saturn. Data collection began on 16 August 1999 and ceased on 17 November 2005 due to an instrument failure. The dataset was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Modeling Saturn's magnetosphere based on scalar magnetic field measurements.
• Analyzing temporal changes in high magnetic field regions during the Cassini cruise phase.
• Calibrating or validating other magnetometer data from the Cassini mission.
• Studying instrument performance and failure modes for spaceborne magnetometers.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific 6-year period from 1999 to 2005 during a major planetary mission.
• Focuses on scalar magnetometer data collected during expected high-field conditions.
• Originates from the authoritative NASA Cassini mission.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data collection ceased in 2005 due to an instrument failure, limiting temporal coverage.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Acquired by the Cassini spacecraft's helium magnetometer (SHM) in scalar mode.

Time Range

16 August 1999 to 17 November 2005

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 14:33:17.837673; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Trajectory of the Cassini spacecraft during its cruise and tour phases around Saturn.