ESA MagVector

The MagVector study is an interesting experiment that will expose a variable electrical conductor to Earth’s magnetic field to study the interaction between the conductor and the magnetic field in a range of different environments using extremely sensitive magnetic sensors installed around the conductor. The experiment will be installed in the European Drawer Rack that will provide a cooled vacuum to have the experiment take place in vacuum conditions. Earth’s magnetic field vector and overall field strength is measured in parallel to provide data for comparisons.

Running the experiment will provide insight into the interaction of Earth’s magnetic field and the variable conductor in different conditions at the high orbital speed of ISS.

This will lead to improvements of future ISS experiments and offer insights into how magnetic fields influence electrical conductors in general which could have major implications for electronics on Earth and in space.

Potential applications include magnetic shields against high-energy particles in space and electrodynamic heat shields for atmospheric entry.