MMS 1: Magnetic Ephemeris and Coordinates for Magnetospheric Studies

Magnetospheric Multiscale 1 (MMS 1) spacecraft position, velocity, attitude, and magnetic ephemeris data at 30-millisecond burst resolution. The data product includes magnetic field measurements, field line footpoints, loss cone angles, L-shell, magnetic local time, and coordinate transformations using the Tsyganenko 1989 model for quiet conditions. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling magnetic field line topology based on the Tsyganenko 1989 model and internal field models.
• Analyzing spacecraft position relative to magnetic coordinates like L-shell and magnetic local time.
• Studying particle loss cone angles and magnetic field strength at field line footpoints.
• Transforming spacecraft data between GEI and 11 other coordinate systems using provided quaternions.
• Correlating magnetospheric conditions with activity indices like Dst and Kp included in the data.

Strengths

• Data is calculated using a specific, documented magnetic field model (Tsyganenko 1989) for quiet conditions.
• Includes a wide range of calculated variables such as footpoints, loss cone angles, L-shell, and multiple coordinate transformations.
• Provides high-resolution time-series data at a 30-millisecond sampling rate in burst mode.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is modeled for quiet magnetospheric conditions, which may not represent active or storm-time scenarios.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Calculated from MMS 1 spacecraft measurements using the Tsyganenko 1989 magnetic field model.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 09:24:05.214132; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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