MMS 1: Magnetospheric Spacecraft Position and Magnetic Field Data at 30-Second Resolution

NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale 1 (MMS 1) spacecraft provides Level-2 science data at a 30-second time resolution. The dataset includes spacecraft position, velocity, attitude, and magnetic ephemeris calculated using the Tsyganenko 2004 model for disturbed conditions. It was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling magnetospheric conditions based on the Tsyganenko 2004 magnetic field model.
• Tracing magnetic field lines to calculate northern and southern hemisphere footpoints.
• Analyzing spacecraft location parameters like L-shell, magnetic local time, and magnetic latitude/longitude.
• Studying space weather activity using ancillary variables like the Dst and Kp indices.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a specific scientific model (Tsyganenko 2004) for disturbed magnetospheric conditions.
• Includes calculated parameters like footpoint locations, loss cone angles, and minimum magnetic field strength along field lines.
• Provides coordinate transformation quaternions for 6 different coordinate systems.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is stored in a BIN format, which may require specialized tools for access.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected from the Magnetospheric Multiscale 1 (MMS 1) spacecraft and processed into Level-2 science data.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 06:31:13.541863; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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