- For other uses of the term double star, see double star (disambiguation).
Double Star is a satellite based space mission sponsored by the European Space Agency and the China National Space Administration. It is the first space mission launched by China to investigate Earth's magnetosphere.
Overview
The Double Star mission uses two satellites in Earth orbit - each designed, developed, launched, and operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The first of the two spacecraft (Tan Ce 1, Chinese for 'Explorer 1', also known as TC-1) was launched December 29, 2003 at 19:06 UT. The second spacecraft (TC-2) was launched July 25,2004 at 07:05 UT. This schedule enables Double Star to operate simultaneously with ESA's Cluster mission .
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