DE-1: 8-Second Spacecraft Position and Attitude Data

Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE-1) spacecraft ephemeris and attitude parameters at 8-second resolution, coinciding with Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI) low-rate data frames. The data were collected by NASA's DE program, launched in 1981, to investigate magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere coupling processes. Parameters are provided primarily in the Geocentric Equatorial Inertial (GEI) True-of-Date reference frame.

Use Cases

• Correlating spacecraft position with plasma wave phenomena like auroral kilometric radiation based on the description.
• Analyzing wave-particle interactions stimulated by ground VLF transmitters using synchronized ephemeris.
• Studying the spatial context of magnetospheric emissions such as whistler mode or ion cyclotron waves.
• Providing a convenient reference frame for working with DE-1 PWI science data products as noted in the description.

Strengths

• Data resolution is explicitly stated as 8 seconds.
• Primary institutional source is NASA, a recognized space agency.
• Reference frame is clearly defined as Geocentric Equatorial Inertial (GEI) TOD.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes these parameters are 'not to be taken as an authoritative set' but are convenient for PWI data work.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the Dynamics Explorer 1 spacecraft instruments.

Time Range

Data collection began after the spacecraft launch on August 3, 1981; specific end date is unknown.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 07:44:22.539562; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers the spacecraft's highly elliptical polar orbit around Earth.