MSP 39.5

This segment covers the period from 02 November to 02 December 2018. The magnetopause is accessible from late November, but most orbits have apogee in the dusk flank of the tail without intersecting the magnetopause or neutral sheet.

There will also be "moon eclipses" on 8 November 2018. On that day each spacecraft will spend about one hour passing through the Moon's shadow. These eclipses will take place when the Cluster spacecraft are around 100000 km from Earth (mainly in the GSE +Y direction), so are not associated with eclipses seen from Earth. Science operations will be limited around these eclipses, due to lack of power. The instruments on C1, C3 and C4 will be switched off for two days, from 03:00 on 7 November until 03:00 on 9 November. In addition, there will be no BM1, BM2 or WBD operations on these three spacecraft in the 15 hours prior to instrument switch off, i.e. after 12:00 on 6 November. C2 operations are less restricted: the instruments on this spacecraft will remain on during the eclipse period, except PEACE and WEC will be switched off for 3.5 hours, from 18:30 to 22:00 on 8 November. In addition, there will be no BM1, BM2 or WBD operations on C2 between 12:00 on 6 November and 22:00 on 8 November.

Note that the total data return is 130% equivalent normal mode per orbit (allowing an average of 3 hours BM1/BM2 per orbit).