An Integrated Small Satellite Approach for Measurements of the Near-Earth Space Environment

Details An Integrated Small Satellite Approach for Measurements of the Near-Earth Space Environment An Integrated Small Satellite Approach for Measurements of the Near-Earth Space Environment

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsm33c1591r&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SM33C-1591

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[7900] Space Weather

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Small satellites are well suited to making measurements of the near-Earth space environment especially since there is variability in the space environment on scales ranging from centimeters to thousand of kilometers and fractions of a second to years. Space weather is the day-to-day (or shorter) variation about that mean condition for the space environment parameters. In this paper we discuss some of the factors that must be considered when designing a system for space weather monitoring or the scientific investigation of the near-Earth environment. Some examples of important near-Earth space environment parameters are: 1) the number flux and energy of energetic particles in the auroral region and/or the radiation belts, 2) the number density temperature and composition of neutrals and ions in the upper atmosphere (the thermosphere and ionosphere, respectively), 3) the wind speed in the upper atmosphere (above 200 km), 4) the ion drift velocity and/or DC component of the electric field, and 5) small scale fluctuations in the ionosphere that lead to radio scintillation. The upper atmosphere is fundamentally different from the lower atmosphere because it is a weakly ionized plasma and, consequently, reacts to drivers from above (the magnetospheric electric field) and wave and tidal forcing from the stratosphere and mesosphere. Because of this the timescales for changes are much shorter than in the lower atmosphere and a purely dynamical description is not adequate. Measurements from many local solar times are required in order to characterize the normal variability in the upper atmosphere. Recent advances in the maturity and development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for sensor and spacecraft component applications have enabled new capabilities for advancing space weather understanding. In this paper the development of an integrated solution by JHU/APL will be discussed. Details will be provided regarding the range of potential science objectives, enabling sensor technologies, triple-cubesat (< 5kg) and nanosatellite (< 50kg) system design, launch, and mission operations.

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