Surfing atmospheric waves with tiny satellites

A U.S. National Science Foundation-supported team is designing and building three identical CubeSats, or shoebox-sized satellites, to study space weather and demonstrate new technologies.

The CubeSats are part of the Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment (SWARM-EX). "The thermosphere and ionosphere system - the start of what we often think of as 'outer space' - is a highly variable and complex region of our atmosphere contributing to space weather," said Scott Palo, a professor at the University of Colorado.

The ionosphere consists of charged particles and overlaps with the neutral thermosphere. During space weather storms, charged particles collide with high-latitude atoms and molecules in the thermosphere, releasing photons, which we can observe as bright, colorful auroral displays. But space weather can also interfere with satellite electronics, radio communications, GPS signals, spacecraft orbits and even electrical power grids on Earth. "SWARM-EX will collect data to improve space weather forecasting through a fundamental understanding of the key processes, thus reducing the potential negative impact of space weather on critical space systems," said Palo.

SWARM-EX's three CubeSats will have specialized instruments to measure both the neutral and charged components of the Earth's upper atmosphere. Their onboard radios will allow all three satellites to simultaneously send back data to a single ground station when flying in close formation. Each CubeSat will also have a cold gas propulsion system that the SWARM-EX team will use to control the relative position of the satellites to avoid any potential space debris and deorbit at the end of the science mission.

The team is working with over 150 students from six collaborating universities to integrate and test all of the spacecraft components in a "flat-sat" configuration, which is a deconstructed version of the satellite used for testing electronics and software. The team expects to start the final spacecraft assembly and integration in the summer of 2025 with a launch target of 2026.

Since 2008, NSF has awarded over a dozen university-led CubeSat missions for research and education in space science. "CubeSats, which are light and inexpensive compared to typical satellites, offer a unique way to advance observations in space weather and atmospheric and geospace sciences," NSF program director Mangala Sharma said. "They also allow us to experiment with novel technologies and engage students in exciting space missions."