Session
Session IV: LEO Missions
Abstract
Spanning an altitude range from 20 – 1000 km, the Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere forms the interface between the Earth system and near Earth space. Driven by solar activity, geomagnetic storms, as well as waves and tides propagating upward from below, the winds and temperatures in this region have important implications both for the Low Earth Orbit space environment, as well as understanding vertical coupling processes in the atmosphere as a whole. However, existing satellite measurements of this region are limited both in spatial and temporal coverage. There is therefore a need for compact sounding payloads that may be deployed using small satellites satisfying the payload requirements.
As part of the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE), we present a preliminary design and analysis for INSPIRESat-1: a CubeSat mission carrying the Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS) instrument being co-developed by CU LASP, GATS and Brandywine Photonics. This design for INSPIRESat-1 was spearheaded by students from National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan, in collaboration with Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO). The final design for INSPIRESat-1 will be based upon this design, in conjunction with parallel designs from other universities participating in the INSPIRE consortium.
A Preliminary Design for the INSPIRESat-1 Mission and Satellite Bus: Exploring the Middle and Upper Atmosphere with CubeSats
Spanning an altitude range from 20 – 1000 km, the Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere forms the interface between the Earth system and near Earth space. Driven by solar activity, geomagnetic storms, as well as waves and tides propagating upward from below, the winds and temperatures in this region have important implications both for the Low Earth Orbit space environment, as well as understanding vertical coupling processes in the atmosphere as a whole. However, existing satellite measurements of this region are limited both in spatial and temporal coverage. There is therefore a need for compact sounding payloads that may be deployed using small satellites satisfying the payload requirements.
As part of the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE), we present a preliminary design and analysis for INSPIRESat-1: a CubeSat mission carrying the Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS) instrument being co-developed by CU LASP, GATS and Brandywine Photonics. This design for INSPIRESat-1 was spearheaded by students from National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan, in collaboration with Taiwan’s National Space Organization (NSPO). The final design for INSPIRESat-1 will be based upon this design, in conjunction with parallel designs from other universities participating in the INSPIRE consortium.
