The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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ESA’s Swarm mission is dedicated to identifying and measuring precisely the different magnetic signals that make up Earth’s magnetic field. The three identical Swarm satellites are launched together on a Rockot launcher from Plesetsk in northern Russia. Once in orbit, each satellite’s long boom unfolds.
Magnetic cleanliness is of paramount importance to the mission, hence the sensitive scalar magnetometer is housed at the end of each boom, far away from any magnetic disturbance the electrical units on the satellite body may cause. The optical bench holding the vector field magnetometer and the three startrackers are mounted half-way along the boom. The boom measures about 4 m, almost half the length of the satellite.