Organization | PAMELA group |
---|---|
Mission Type | Cosmic Ray |
Host Satellite | Resurs DK1 |
Launch | 15 June 2006 |
Launch vehicle | Soyuz-FG |
Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome |
Mission duration | 3 years (planned), 9 years, 7 months and 23 days (achieved) |
Mission end | 7 February 2016 |
Mass | 470 kg |
Max length | 1300 mm |
Power consumption | 335 Watts |
Webpage | PAMELA homepage |
Orbital elements (Resurs DK1) | |
Inclination | 70 degrees |
Orbit | quasi-polar elliptical |
Min altitude | 360 km |
Max altitude | 604 km |
Period | 94.02 min |
PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) was a cosmic ray research module attached to an Earth orbiting satellite. PAMELA was launched on 15 June 2006 and was the first satellite-based experiment dedicated to the detection of cosmic rays, with a particular focus on their antimatter component, in the form of positrons and antiprotons. Other objectives included long-term monitoring of the solar modulation of cosmic rays, measurements of energetic particles from the Sun, high-energy particles in Earth's magnetosphere and Jovian electrons. It was also hoped that it may detect evidence of dark matter annihilation.[1] PAMELA operations were terminated in 2016,[2] as were the operations of the host-satellite Resurs-DK1. The experiment was a recognized CERN experiment (RE2B).[3][4]