Outline

The ERG satellite was developed as a science satellite by Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Table 1 summarizes the specifications of the ERG  satellite.
Miyoshi et al., Earth Planets Space, DOI:10.1186/s40623-018-0862-0, 2018a

  • The satellite was launched during the declining phase of solar cycle 24 on 20 December 2016. The nominal mission life is planned to be longer than 1 year.
  • The apogee altitude will be 5.0 Re (L~6.0 at the equatorial plane), where the average peak flux L shell of the outer belt during the declining phase is located [Miyoshi and Kataoka, 2011].
  • The orbital inclination will be 31°, so the satellite will not always stay at the magnetic equator. However, the satellite will have many chances to observe, for example, the phase space density, generation of plasma waves, and accelerations of relativistic electrons near the equator. Off-equatorial observations are also essential to discuss the propagation of plasma waves from the equator, so it is important to compare with observations by other satellites near the equator.
ERG satellite

Specifications of the ERG Satellite

Name Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace "ARASE" (ERG)
International Designation code (NSSDCA/COSPAR ID) 2016-080A
Launch Date 20:00, December 20, 2016 (JST)
Location Uchinoura Space Center (USC)
Vehicle Epsilon-2
Attitude Stabilization Spin-stabilized
Spin Direction Sun-oriented
Spin Rate 7.5 rpm (8 s)
Orbit Altitude Perigee: about 460 km,
Apogee: about 32,110 km
Type of Orbit Elliptical orbit
Inclination 31°
Period about 565 min
Satellite Bus SPRINT bus (SPRINT-B)
Weight about 350 kg
Major Scientific Instruments Low-energy particle experiments - electron analyzer (LEP-e)
Low-energy particle experiments - ion mass analyzer (LEP-i)
Medium-energy particle experiments - electron analyzer (MEP-e)
Medium-energy particle experiments - ion mass analyzer (MEP-i)
High-energy electron experiments (HEP)
Extremely high-energy electron experiments (XEP)
Magnetic field experiment (MGF)
Plasma Wave Experiment (PWE)
Software-type wave particle interaction analyzer (S-WPIA)

Instruments

Members References
LEP-e
Low-Energy Particle Experiments - Electron Analyzer; LEP-e
Principal Investigator
Paul Ho (Academia Sinica, Taiwan)
Project Manager
Shiang-Yu Wang (Academia Sinica, Taiwan)
Project Scientist
Sunny W. Y. Tam (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan)
Project Engineer
Yoichi Kazama (Academia Sinica, Taiwan)
Engineer
Bo-Jhou Wang (Academia Sinica, Taiwan)
Support Scientist
Tzu-Fang Chang (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan)
Chih-Yu Chiang (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan)
Kazama et al. (2017)
LEP-i
Low-Energy Particle Experiments - Ion Mass Analyzer
PI:Kazushi Asamura(JAXA) Asamura et al. (2018)
MEP-e
Medium-Energy Particle Experiments - Electron Analyzer
PI:
Satoshi Kasahara (The University of Tokyo)
Co-PI:
Shoichiro Yokota (Osaka University)
Kasahara et al. (2006)
Kasahara et al. (2009)
Kasahara et al. (2012)
Kasahara et al. (2018)
MEP-i
Medium-Energy Particle Experiments - Ion Mass Analyzer
PI:
Shoichiro Yokota (Osaka University)
Co-PI:
Satoshi Kasahara (The University of Tokyo)
Kasahara et al. (2006)
Kasahara et al. (2009)
Kasahara et al. (2017)
HEP
High-Energy Electron Experiments
PI:
Takefumi Mitani (JAXA)
Co-I:
Takeshi Takashima (JAXA)
Satoshi Kasahara (The University of Tokyo)
Mitani et al. (2018)
XEP
Extremely High-Energy Electron Experiment
PI:
Nana Higashio (JAXA/RDD)
Members
Haruhisa Matsumoto (JAXA/RDD)
Higashio et al. (2018)
MGF
Magnetic Field Experiment
PI:
Ayako Matsuoka (Kyoto University)
Co-I:
Mariko Teramoto (Kyushu Institute of Technology)
Reiko Nomura (Jaxa)
Masahito Nose (Nagoya University)
Akiko Fujimoto (Kyushu Institute of Technology)
Yoshimasa Tanaka (NIPR)
Manabu Shinohara (National Institute of Technology Kagoshima College)
Tsutomu Nagatsuma (NICT)
Kazuo Shiokawa (Nagoya University)
Yuki Obana (Osaka Electro-Communication University)
Yoshizumi Miyoshi (Nagoya University)
Makoto Mita (JAXA)
Takashi Takashima (JAXA)
Iku Shinohara (JAXA)
Matsuoka et al. (2018)
PWE
Plasma Wave Experiment
PI:
Yoshiya Kasahara (Kanazawa University)
Co-PI:
Yasumasa Kasaba (Tohoku University)
Hirotsugu Kojima (Kyoto University)
Satoshi Yagitani (Kanazawa University)
Co-I:
Keigo Ishisaka (Toyama Prefectural University)
Atsushi Kumamoto (Tohoku University)
Fuminori Tsuchiya (Tohoku University)
Mitsunori Ozaki (Kanazawa University)
Tomohiko Imachi (Kanazawa University)
Yoshizumi Miyoshi (Nagoya University)
Shoya Matsuda (JAXA/ISAS)
Satoshi Kurita (Kyoto University)
Tomoko Nakagawa (Tohoku Institute of Technology)
Mitsuru Hikishima (JAXA/ISAS)
Yuto Katoh (Tohoku University)
Hiroaki Misawa (Tohoku University)
Tomoki Kimura (Tohoku University)
PWE Overall:
Kasahara et al. (2018)
WPT/EFD:
Kasaba et al. (2017)
MSC:
Ozaki et al. (2018)
WFC/OFA:
Matsuda et al. (2018)
HFA:
Kumamoto et al. (2018)
S-WPIA
Software-Type Wave Particle Interaction Analyzer
PI:
Hirotsugu Kojima (RISH, Kyoto University)
Co-PI:
Yuto Katoh (Tohoku University)
Co-I:
Mitsuru Hikishima (JAXA/ISAS)
Yoshizumi Miyoshi (Nagoya University)
Yoshiharu Omura (Kyoto University)
Katoh et al. (2018) Hikishima et al. (2018)