CubeSat: Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this three-year cross-disciplinary team effort is to build and operate a tiny, so-called CubeSat, spacecraft. The purpose of the 3U Cubesat carrying an energetic particle sensor is to address fundamental space weather science questions relating to the relationship between solar flares, energetic particles, and geomagnetic storms in the near Earth space environment. The particle instrument is the Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope integrated little experiment (REPTile). REPTile is designed to measure directional differential flux of energetic protons, 10-40 MeV, and electrons, 0.5 to >3 MeV. The instrument is a miniaturization of the Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope (REPT) currently being developed and built at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) for the NASA/Radiation Belt Storm Probe (RBSP) mission. Energetic protons and electrons coming from both the Sun during Solare Energetic Particle (SEP) events and the Earth's radiation belt will be measured. The energetic particle measurements will be used in conjunction with solar flare measurements from other spacecraft, e.g., NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment and current NOAA's GOES-Solar X-ray Imager, to investigate the correlations between flare parameters and SEP characteristics. The specific science objectives for the project are to investigate the relationships between solar energetic particles, flares, and coronal mass ejections, and to characterize the variations of the Earth's radiation belt electrons. Space weather refers to conditions in space that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems. Understanding the relationships between SEPs observed at the ground and solar flares and CMEs, eventually leading to the prediction of SEP events, is a high priority space weather research goal, as is the full characterization of the variations of the Earth's radiation belt electrons. In addition, the development of the miniature REPTile instrument will facilitate future space weather research and monitoring conducted by constellations of small (cubesat-sized) spacecraft and demonstrate the usefulness of nano-satellites as space weather monitors. The project will pursue scientific discovery while providing unique and inspiring educational opportunities. It relies on extensive undergraduate and graduate student involvement through all aspects of the mission. This is a collaborative effort between the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, which includes the integration of students, faculty, and professional engineers. The project is focused around a currently existing space hardware design course. The new, largely unproven technology involved in cubesat missions, inherently makes the project associated with significant risks. On the other hand, however, the project has tremendous potential to be transformational not only within its own research area but also for the larger field of space science and atmospheric research as well as within aerospace engineering and education.