Aura (satellite)

Aura
	Aura (EOS CH-1)
Mission type	Earth Observation
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	2004-026A
SATCAT no.	28376
Website	aura.gsfc.nasa.gov
Mission duration	20 years (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Bus	T330 (AB-1200)
Manufacturer	Northrop Grumman
Launch mass	2,970 kilograms (6,550 lb)
Dimensions	4.70 m x 17.37 m x 6.91 m
Power	4.6 kW
Start of mission
Launch date	July 15, 2004, 10:01:51 UTC
Rocket	Delta II 7920-10L
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-2W
End of mission
Last contact	2036 (planned)
Decay date	2048 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Sun-synchronous
Semi-major axis	7,080.7 kilometers (4,399.7 mi)
Eccentricity	0.0001111
Perigee altitude	708 kilometers (440 mi)
Apogee altitude	710 kilometers (440 mi)
Inclination	98.22 degrees
Period	98.83 minutes
RAAN	96.8126 degrees
Argument of perigee	89.5089 degrees
Mean anomaly	270.6277 degrees
Mean motion	14.57112850
Epoch	25 January 2015, 03:15:27 UTC

Aura (EOS CH-1) is a multi-national NASA scientific research satellite in orbit around the Earth, studying the Earth's ozone layer, air quality and climate.^[2] It is the third major component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) following on Terra (launched 1999) and Aqua (launched 2002). Aura follows on from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Aura is a joint mission between NASA, the Netherlands, Finland, and the U.K.^[3] The Aura spacecraft is healthy and is expected to operate until at least 2023, likely beyond.^[4]

The name "Aura" comes from the Latin word for air. The satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on July 15, 2004, aboard a Delta II 7920-10L rocket.

The Aura spacecraft has a mass of about 1,765 kg (3,891 lb). The body is 6.9 m (23 ft) long with the extended single solar panel about 15 m (49 ft) long.

Aura flies in a Sun-synchronous orbit, in formation with three other satellites, collectively known as the "A Train"; it is last in the formation. The other satellites in the formation are:

All satellites have an equatorial crossing time at about 1:30 in the afternoon, thus the name 'A (Afternoon) Train'.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "AURA Satellite details 2004-026A NORAD 28376". N2YO. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
^ Schoeberl, M.R.; Douglass, A.R.; Hilsenrath, E.; Bhartia, P.K.; Beer, R.; Waters, J.W.; Gunson, M.R.; Froidevaux, L.; Gille, J.C.; Barnett, J.J.; Levelt, P.F. (2006). "Overview of the EOS aura mission". IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 44 (5): 1066–1074. Bibcode:2006ITGRS..44.1066S. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.454.2029. doi:10.1109/TGRS.2005.861950. ISSN 0196-2892. S2CID 2153656.
^ "Earth Science Reference Handbook" (PDF). Retrieved 7 September 2018.
^ Cite error: The named reference 2015EOS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[n2yo-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "AURA Satellite details 2004-026A NORAD 28376". N2YO. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.

[2] Schoeberl, M.R.; Douglass, A.R.; Hilsenrath, E.; Bhartia, P.K.; Beer, R.; Waters, J.W.; Gunson, M.R.; Froidevaux, L.; Gille, J.C.; Barnett, J.J.; Levelt, P.F. (2006). "Overview of the EOS aura mission". IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 44 (5): 1066–1074. Bibcode:2006ITGRS..44.1066S. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.454.2029. doi:10.1109/TGRS.2005.861950. ISSN 0196-2892. S2CID 2153656.

[3] "Earth Science Reference Handbook" (PDF). Retrieved 7 September 2018.

[2015EOS-4] Cite error: The named reference 2015EOS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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