SAMPEX Attitude/Orbit (PS Set) Data

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These data are derived from the SAMPEX PS Set data, documented in the SAMPEX Master Data File Description.

For an overview of SAMPEX pointing modes, see the SAMPEX Pointing Modes and History.

The data are instantaneous values at the given timestamp, measured every 6 seconds.

Note on attitude data quality flag

Users of the attitude data should pay particular attention to the Att_flag, which is documented near the end of this web page.

Notes on the time-stamps for these data

The time-stamps for these attitude/orbit (PS Set) data have been synced (in ground data processing) with the time-stamps for the 6-second rates (RS Set) data, and with the time-stamps for the 6-second Intensities data. On the spacecraft, the PS Set and RS Set time-stamps start each day in sync. However, they can drift by a second-or-so relative to each other during each day (they run on different spacecraft clocks...)

The RS Set time-stamps are preferred, so each PS Set record has been assigned the time-stamp of its associated RS Set, whenever possible. This is not always possible, because there are sometimes gaps in the RS Set data. We provide a flag (flag_rstime) for each record to indicate whether the time-syncing was possible.

In addition, the 6-second intensity, attitude/orbit (PS Set), and rates (RS Set) data have been filled so that they all contain the same number of records per day.

Thus, the timestamps in these data sets may be used to associate the appropriate attitude/orbit data with each 6-second-averaged intensity or rates data record.

Description of each data field