Ionospheric Connection Explorer

Ionospheric Connection Explorer
	ICON (Explorer 96) satellite
Names	Explorer 96; ICON
Mission type	Ionospheric research
Operator	UC Berkeley SSL / NASA
COSPAR ID	2019-068A
SATCAT no.	44628
Website	icon.ssl.berkeley.edu
Mission duration	2 years (planned); 4 years, 7 months, 18 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Explorer XCVI
Spacecraft type	Ionospheric Connection Explorer
Bus	LEOStar-2
Manufacturer	University of California, Berkeley / Northrop Grumman
Launch mass	288 kg (635 lb)
Dimensions	Height: 193 cm (76 in) and 106 cm (42 in) of diameter ; Solar panel: 254 × 84 cm (100 × 33 in)
Power	780 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	11 October 2019, 02:00 UTC
Rocket	Pegasus XL (F44)
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Skid Strip, Stargazer
Contractor	Northrop Grumman
Entered service	November 2019
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	575 km (357 mi)
Apogee altitude	603 km (375 mi)
Inclination	27.00°
Period	97.00 minutes
MIGHTI
Instruments
MIGHTI	Michelson Interferometer for Global High-resolution Thermospheric Imaging
EUV	Extreme Ultraviolet spectrometer
FUV	Far Ultraviolet spectrometer
IVM	Ion Velocity Meter
	Explorer program ← TESS (Explorer 95) IXPE (Explorer 97) →

Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)^[6] is a satellite designed to investigate changes in the ionosphere of Earth, the dynamic region high in the atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather from above. ICON studies the interaction between Earth's weather systems and space weather driven by the Sun, and how this interaction drives turbulence in the upper atmosphere. It is hoped that a better understanding of this dynamic will mitigate its effects on communications, GPS signals, and technology in general.^[6]^[7] It is part of NASA's Explorer program and is operated by University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory.^[8]

On 12 April 2013, NASA announced that ICON, along with Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD), had been selected for development with the cost capped at US$200 million,^[9] excluding launch costs.^[10] The principal investigator of ICON is Thomas Immel at the University of California, Berkeley.^[9]^[11]

ICON was originally scheduled to launch in June 2017 and was repeatedly delayed because of problems with its Pegasus XL launch vehicle. It was next due to launch on 26 October 2018 but the launch was rescheduled to 7 November 2018, and postponed again just 28 minutes before launch.^[12] ICON was successfully launched on 11 October 2019, at 02:00 UTC.^[4]

^ "ICON: Exploring where Earth's Weather meets Space Weather" (PDF). University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
^ ICON Factsheet Archived 24 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Northrop Grumman, Accessed: 24 October 2018
^ ICON, October 2018, NASA This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ ^a ^b NASA Launches Long-Delayed ICON Space Weather Satellite to Study Earth's Ionosphere, Amy Thompson, Space.com, 11 October 2019
^ Cite error: The named reference sfn20180705 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Ionospheric Connection Explorer". University of California, Berkeley.
^ "ICON Mission Overview". NASA. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Sanders, Robert (16 April 2013). "UC Berkeley selected to build NASA's next space weather satellite". Berkeley News. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
^ ^a ^b Harrington, J. D. (5 April 2013). "NASA Selects Explorer Investigations for Formulation". NASA. Retrieved 6 April 2013. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Leone, Dan (20 October 2015). "Heliophysics Small Explorer Solicitation Set for First Half of 2016". SpaceNews. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
^ "ICON Project Management". University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
^ Bartels, Meghan (23 October 2018). "ICON of Delay? NASA, Northrop Grumman Postpone Earth Satellite Mission Yet Again". SPACE.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.

[icon-flyer-1] "ICON: Exploring where Earth's Weather meets Space Weather" (PDF). University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 4 February 2018.

[ICON_Specs-2] ICON Factsheet Archived 24 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Northrop Grumman, Accessed: 24 October 2018

[Oct_Press_kit-3] ICON, October 2018, NASA This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[Launch_2019-4] NASA Launches Long-Delayed ICON Space Weather Satellite to Study Earth's Ionosphere, Amy Thompson, Space.com, 11 October 2019

[sfn20180705-5] Cite error: The named reference sfn20180705 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[icon-ssl-6] "Ionospheric Connection Explorer". University of California, Berkeley.

[icon-overview-7] "ICON Mission Overview". NASA. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[8] Sanders, Robert (16 April 2013). "UC Berkeley selected to build NASA's next space weather satellite". Berkeley News. Retrieved 19 January 2016.

[selection-9] Harrington, J. D. (5 April 2013). "NASA Selects Explorer Investigations for Formulation". NASA. Retrieved 6 April 2013. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[solicitation-10] Leone, Dan (20 October 2015). "Heliophysics Small Explorer Solicitation Set for First Half of 2016". SpaceNews. Retrieved 21 October 2015.

[11] "ICON Project Management". University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 14 October 2017.

[postponed-12] Bartels, Meghan (23 October 2018). "ICON of Delay? NASA, Northrop Grumman Postpone Earth Satellite Mission Yet Again". SPACE.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.

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