# IMAGE

> NASA geomagnetic satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q51151](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q51151)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAGE_(spacecraft))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/image

## Summary
IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration) is a NASA geomagnetic satellite launched on 2000-03-25 to image and monitor Earth's magnetosphere. Operated by Goddard Space Flight Center with management by the Southwest Research Institute, IMAGE was part of NASA's Medium Explorer (MIDEX) program and ceased normal operations after a failure on 2005-12-18 before being rediscovered in 2018.

## Key Facts
- IMAGE is a geomagnetic satellite (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration), also known as Explorer 78 and MIDEX-1.
- Launch date and time: 2000-03-25 at 20:34:43 UTC.
- COSPAR ID / NSSDCA ID: 2000-017A.
- Launch vehicle: Delta II (D-277); launch contractor: Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
- Launch site: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West.
- Mass (launch weight): 494 kilograms.
- Dimensions: height 1.52 metres; spacecraft-bus diameter 2.25 metres.
- Operators: Goddard Space Flight Center (spacecraft operations) and Southwest Research Institute (management).
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space.
- Power system: spacecraft solar array and a nickel–cadmium battery (one battery listed).
- Principal investigator: James L. Burch.
- Mission program: part of NASA’s Medium Explorer program.
- End of normal operations: failure on 2005-12-18 (time reported as 07:39, sourcing described as "no earlier than").
- Rediscovery reported on 2018-01-20.
- NAIF ID: -166.
- Official website: https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/

## FAQs
### Q: What was the primary purpose of IMAGE?
A: IMAGE was designed as a geomagnetic satellite to image and monitor Earth's magnetosphere, from the magnetopause to the auroral regions, as indicated by its full name (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration).

### Q: When and how was IMAGE launched?
A: IMAGE was launched on 2000-03-25 at 20:34:43 UTC aboard a Delta II rocket (D-277) from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West. The launch contractor was Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

### Q: What happened to IMAGE after launch?
A: IMAGE operated until a mission failure was identified on 2005-12-18 (time reported as 07:39, with sourcing described as "no earlier than"), after which it ceased normal operations. The satellite was later rediscovered on 2018-01-20.

### Q: Who operated and managed the IMAGE mission?
A: Spacecraft operations were handled by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and overall mission management was provided by the Southwest Research Institute.

## Why It Matters
IMAGE provided a dedicated capability to image and study Earth's global magnetospheric response to solar and geomagnetic activity. As a NASA Medium Explorer mission, IMAGE carried instruments and an imager suite intended to observe large-scale magnetospheric structures and dynamics — from the magnetopause through to the auroral zones — enabling researchers to relate solar wind input to global magnetospheric behavior. The mission delivered unique global-scale observations during its operational period and contributed to the scientific understanding of how Earth's magnetic environment responds to space weather. IMAGE’s extended story — ceasing normal operations in 2005 and then being rediscovered in 2018 — also underscores both the challenges of long-duration space missions and the value of archival tracking and contact efforts. The data and legacy of IMAGE remain relevant to magnetospheric research and to planning future missions that require global imaging of planetary magnetic environments.

## Notable For
- Being a purpose-built imager mission for global-scale observations of Earth’s magnetosphere (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration).
- Flight designation as Explorer 78 and program role as MIDEX-1 (part of NASA’s Medium Explorer program).
- Launch on 2000-03-25 on a Delta II (D-277) from Vandenberg SLC-2W.
- Sudden end of normal operations on 2005-12-18 followed by a notable rediscovery event on 2018-01-20.
- Operated by NASA Goddard with mission management by the Southwest Research Institute; built by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space.

## Body

### Overview
- Official name: Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE).
- Common aliases: IMAGE, Explorer 78, MIDEX-1.
- Classification: geomagnetic satellite; part of NASA’s Medium Explorer program.
- Mission role: global imaging and monitoring of Earth's magnetosphere, magnetopause, and auroral regions.

### Spacecraft specifications
- Launch weight (mass): 494 kg (launch weight criterion).
- Height: 1.52 m.
- Spacecraft-bus diameter: 2.25 m.
- Power: spacecraft solar array and a nickel–cadmium battery (one battery listed).
- NAIF ID: -166.
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space.

### Launch and orbit
- Launch date/time: 2000-03-25 at 20:34:43 UTC.
- Launch vehicle: Delta II (D-277).
- Launch site: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2 West.
- Orbit type: polar orbit (satellite_of: polar orbit).
- COSPAR ID: 2000-017A (NSSDCA ID 2000-017A).

### Operations and management
- Spacecraft operations: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
- Mission management: Southwest Research Institute.
- Principal investigator: James L. Burch.
- Program affiliation: Medium Explorer program (NASA MIDEX).

### Mission timeline and events
- 2000-03-25: Launch and successful insertion into polar orbit.
- 2005-12-18: Reported mission failure (point in time reported as 07:39; sourcing described as "no earlier than"), marking the end of normal operations.
- 2018-01-20: Rediscovery of the spacecraft was reported.

### Data and public resources
- Official mission website: https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/
- Public imagery: IMAGE_(Explorer_78).jpg (media on Wikimedia Commons).
- Additional archival mission documentation and spacecraft information are referenced in mission archives and NASA publications.

## Schema Markup
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  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration)",
  "description": "IMAGE is a NASA geomagnetic satellite launched in 2000 to image and monitor Earth's magnetosphere as part of the Medium Explorer program.",
  "url": "https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAGE_(spacecraft)"
  ],
  "additionalType": "geomagnetic satellite",
  "image": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/IMAGE_(Explorer_78).jpg"
}

## References

1. [Source](http://pluto.space.swri.edu/IMAGE/operations.html)
2. [Source](http://pluto.space.swri.edu/IMAGE/)
3. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_image.htm)
4. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2000-017A)
5. Jonathan's Space Report
6. [Source](http://pluto.space.swri.edu/IMAGE/spacecraft.html)
7. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=2000-017A)
8. [Source](https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/publication/document/IMAGE_FRB_Final_Report.pdf)
9. [Source](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20010084999)
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-image-confirmed)
12. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)