ESA - Swarm - Archive

ESA title

The mission

ESA’s three-satellite Swarm mission is dedicated to unravelling one of the most mysterious aspects of our planet: the magnetic field. Although invisible, the magnetic field and electric currents in and around Earth generate complex forces that have immeasurable impact on everyday life. By analysing the different characteristics of the observed field, Swarm will lead to new insight into many natural processes, from those occurring deep inside the planet to weather in space caused by solar activity.

The launch

Date: 22 November 2013
Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Launcher: Rockot

1st Explorer constellation
3 identical satellites
1st sensors of their kind

Swarm

Aurora near Frankfurt, Germany, May 2024

The May 2024 solar storm: your questions answered

17/05/2024 2513 views 15 likes

Solar flare captured by ESA’s Proba-2 SWAP

SMOS and Swarm team up to spot huge solar storm

26/03/2024 17496 views 23 likes

10 remarkable Earth facts

18/04/2023 300399 views 2339 likes

Magnetic field sound waves

The scary sound of Earth’s magnetic field

24/10/2022 123328 views 376 likes

Artist's view of Swarm

Swarm dodges collision during climb to escape Sun’s wrath

14/07/2022 26298 views 181 likes

Swarm reveals magnetic waves across Earth’s outer core

Swarm unveils magnetic waves deep down

23/05/2022 9331 views 103 likes

Earth's protective shield

Swarm and Cluster get to the bottom of geomagnetic storms

15/12/2021 6716 views 116 likes

Greater white-fronted geese

Swarm yields new insight into animal migration

09/07/2021 8349 views 118 likes

Sprites seen over the Czech Republic and detected by Swarm

The curious incident of Swarm and sprites in the night-time

18/05/2021 7049 views 160 likes

Magnetic data show links Antarctica to ancient neighbours

Antarctica’s magnetic link to ancient neighbours

09/03/2021 11898 views 142 likes

Energy from solar wind favours the north

Energy from solar wind favours the north

12/01/2021 9018 views 140 likes

Swarm probes weakening of Earth’s magnetic field

20/05/2020 221348 views 690 likes

Swirling iron

Magnetic north and the elongating blob

14/05/2020 26167 views 219 likes

Steve over the picket fence

27/11/2019 9064 views 54 likes

3D Earth in the making

15/05/2019 13895 views 113 likes

Tug-of-war drives magnetic north sprint

15/05/2019 17121 views 204 likes

Simulation of the magnetic field in Earth’s core

Swarm helps explain Earth’s magnetic jerks

01/05/2019 16369 views 263 likes

Cloud-free Europe

New observations for the new economy

08/03/2019 10213 views 88 likes

Magnetic north on the move

Swarm helps pinpoint new magnetic north for smartphones

08/02/2019 14980 views 239 likes

Electric nature

Swarm turns to whistlers and storms

13/04/2018 5233 views 85 likes

Swarm tracks elusive ocean magnetism

10/04/2018 15645 views 116 likes

Steve

Getting to know Steve

16/03/2018 14300 views 179 likes

Swarm trio becomes a quartet

22/02/2018 8162 views 87 likes

Earth's protective shield

Swarm details energetic coupling

15/02/2018 4889 views 83 likes

Meet Steve

When Swarm met Steve

21/04/2017 42994 views 298 likes

Birkeland currents

Supersonic plasma jets discovered

23/03/2017 39326 views 310 likes

Seasonal asymmetry

Swarm detects asymmetry

22/03/2017 6185 views 80 likes

Unravelling Earth’s magnetic field

21/03/2017 40709 views 279 likes

Artist's view of Swarm

Enabling & Support

Anatomy of a debris incident

01/02/2017 9197 views 55 likes

Jet stream in Earth’s core

There’s a jet stream in our core

19/12/2016 40080 views 414 likes

GPS interruptions

Swarm reveals why satellites lose track

28/10/2016 18166 views 231 likes

Magnetic oceans and electric Earth

03/10/2016 15972 views 159 likes

Earth’s magnetic heartbeat

10/05/2016 53296 views 314 likes

Core and crust from Swarm

Magnetic complexity begins to untangle

22/06/2015 15889 views 120 likes

Magnetic field changes

Swarm reveals Earth’s changing magnetism

19/06/2014 133597 views 330 likes

Swarm magnetic field compared to model

Swarm’s precise sense of magnetism

07/05/2014 9443 views 75 likes

Swarm heads for new heights

06/02/2014 7749 views 80 likes

Enabling & Support

End of the beginning for Swarm trio

26/11/2013 6888 views 81 likes

Swarm constellation deploys booms

23/11/2013 6483 views 56 likes

ESA’s Swarm trio on its way to watch over our planet’s magn…

22/11/2013 10750 views 47 likes

Swarm ready for launch

22/11/2013 3151 views 28 likes

Swarm upper composite hoisted to the top of the service tower

Enabling & Support

Swarm launch timeline

21/11/2013 2703 views 10 likes

Swarm mission team in training

Enabling & Support

Swarm mission control ready for triple launch

19/11/2013 6542 views 42 likes

Swarm upper composite hoisted to the top of the service tower

Swarm on the launch pad

18/11/2013 6605 views 65 likes

Separated by a few centimetres

Satellites packed like sardines

08/11/2013 9859 views 61 likes

Three in a row

Swarm launch postponed

30/10/2013 8802 views 63 likes

Three in a row

Magnetic field mission fuelled for launch

16/10/2013 3303 views 43 likes

Swarm arrives in Plesetsk

Preparing to launch Swarm

19/09/2013 5957 views 61 likes

Euronews_Geomag

ESA Euronews: Measuring Earth's vital magnetic field

26/10/2012 1741 views 0 likes

Solar wind entry at low latitudes

Science & Exploration

Earth’s magnetosphere behaves like a sieve

24/10/2012 6170 views 20 likes

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