Measurements of the radiation belts from Mir and STRV 1994-1997

Abstract

Simple environment monitors were launched in 1994; one was placed in geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) onboard STRV-1b while the second was installed externally on Mir in LEO. GTO covers the equatorial regime of the inner and outer radiation belts well. Mir encounters the belts near atmospheric cut-off. We summarize these observations. The outer (electron) belt has been subject to many injection events, including during January 1997. Mir data show the strong anisotropy in the low-altitude inner (proton) belt. Results are compared with models.