The microsatellite
looks like and weighs about as much as a typical view graph projector.
The sides are 30 - 40 cm, exclusive the solar panels. The weight is some
30 kg.
The satellite platform is developed and built by SSC Science Systems
Division, Stockholm.
The scientific payload on Astrid-2
consists of:
LINDA - density instrument
from us at IRF-U in Uppsala,
EMMA - instrument for
measurement of electric and magnetic fields provided by KTH, Stockholm,
MEDUSA - electron and
ion measurements by SWRI, San Antonio, and IRF-K, Kiruna, and
PIA - photometer experiment
from MPAe, Lindau, and IRF-K, Kiruna.
There were two dedicated ground stations serving Astrid-2, one for each
hemisphere. The northern station run by SSC, Stockholm, which besides receiving
data also operated the satellite by uplinking satellite commands. Received
data was relayed by KTH to the other payload groups via Internet. The southern
station is SANAE IV in Antarctica. The station downlinked data which was
sent to the payload groups via Shipnet.