A TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TSS-1 ROPE INVESTIGATION

The Research on Orbital Plasma Electrodynamics (ROPE) investigation wa s designed to study the complex of phenomena and processes expected to exist around the highly biased satellite of the TSS-1 system. Specifi cally, ROPE was to study the characteristics of the high-voltage sheat h and study ionization processes in the vicinty of the satellite. To a ccomplish this, two banks of sensors were mounted on the satellite. On e was flush-mounted on the satellite's surface and the other was locat ed at the end of the satellite's fixed boom. Of particular note is the ability to drive the boom probes' surface potential to the local floa ting potential. In conjunction with satellite spin, the surface-mounte d sensors could map the distribution of electron flux to the satellite 's surface while the boom-mounted sensors could measure the ion and el ectron fluxes in and out of the satellite's plasma sheath.