In 1981, two satellites were launched by NASA to study the interactions between Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. The mission was called Dynamics Explorer and included Dynamics Explorer 1, or DE-1, and Dynamics Explorer 2, or DE-2. NASA launched both spacecraft on August 3, 1981, using one rocket. The mission was designed to examine how Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere interact. Scientists studied space plasma, electric currents and the movement of energy. The two satellites used different orbital altitudes so they could observe different regions around Earth and provide information about the same space environment from separate positions.
