The STARE/SABRE story

Abstract. In January 1977 a new type of radar aurora experiment named STARE (Scandinavian Twin Aurora Radar Experiment) commenced operation in northern Scandinavia. The purpose of the experiment was two-fold: to make observations of the nature of radar auroras, and to contribute to the study of solar–terrestrial relationships (or space weather). The experiment was designed for automatic continuous operation, and for nearly two and a half decades it provided estimates of electron flows with good spatial coverage and resolution and good time resolution. It was a successful experiment that yielded a wealth of observations and results, pertaining to, and based on, the observed time variations of the electron flows and to the spatial flow pattern observed at any given time. This radar system inspired the creation of a similar system, SABRE (Sweden And Britain Radar Experiment), which increased the field of view towards the southwest of STARE. This system commenced operation in 1982.