International Cometary Explorer
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The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft was originally known as International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) satellite, launched August 12, 1978. It, along with ISEE-1 and ISEE-2, were designed to study the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind.
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[edit] Original mission: International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3)
ISEE-3 originally operated in a "halo" orbit about the L1 libration point.
[edit] Second mission:International Cometary Explorer
On June 10, 1982, after completing its original mission, ISEE-3 was renamed ICE and diverted from its halo orbit to perform a new mission. Using the gravitational instability of the Earth/Moon and Earth/Sun Lagrange points, the spacecraft made a series of lunar orbits, making its closest pass on December 22, 1983.
[edit] Giacobini-Zinner encounter
On 11 September 1985, ICE passed through the plasma tail of the Giacobini-Zinner comet. Due to the nature of its original mission, ICE carried no cameras. It instead carried instruments for measurements of energetic particles, waves, plasmas, and fields.
[edit] Halley encounter
In March 1986 ICE, along with Giotto, Vega 1 and 2, Suisei and Sakigake, participated in rendezvous missions with Comet Halley.
[edit] End of mission
ICE was shutdown in May 1997. It may be possible to capture the spacecraft in 2014, when it again makes a close approach to Earth. If the craft is recovered, it has already been donated by NASA to the Smithsonian Institute.
[edit] External links
| Halley Armada | |
|---|---|
| Giotto | Vega 1 | Vega 2 | Suisei | Sakigake | ICE | |
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