The Science of the Cluster Mission

Abstract

In 1966, in the concluding part of his inaugural lecture at Imperial College London, Jim Dungey discussed the future of magnetospheric physics, in particular indicating that progress in the field required “bunches” of satellites. Indeed, the previous year Dungey had submitted a proposal to the European Space Agency’s predecessor ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) proposing the launch of bunches of spacecraft into the magnetosphere. However it was not until 2000, following the successful 1982 proposal led by G. Haerendel, that the first four spacecraft mission, Cluster, was initiated. This paper provides a select few highlights of the Cluster mission related specifically to some objectives presented in the 1960s by Dungey. In addition, we will indicate future prospects for Cluster, in particular coordination of a number of multi-spacecraft missions—Cluster, THEMIS, Van Allen Probes and Swarm, approaching “bunches of bunches” of satellites.