Session
Technical Session I: Mission Payloads and their Applications
Abstract
Previous satellite missions have demonstrated that portions of the magnetosphere, such as the High Latitude Trapping Boundaries (HLTBs), are very sensitive to solar activity. At the HLTBs, the Earth's field lines combine with the so called Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), and represent the poleward termini of the radiation belts. The relationship of the HLBT to changes in the solar wind and the IMF has not been characterized in any detail and must be studied further. Such exploration will undoubtedly yield insight on how to mitigate the effects of spaceweather phenomena on orbiting spacecraft as well as provide a capability for forecasting. The Compact Half-unit Imaging electron spectrometer for CubeSat Operations (CHICO) project aims to provide a cost-effective, miniaturized Imaging Electron Spectrometer (IES) to assist in addressing the problem of spaceweather. Designed around the Readout Electronics for Nuclear Applications (RENA3) chip, the instrument will measure energetic particle flux as its host satellite passes through the HLTBs. CHICO occupies a volume smaller than 500 cm3 and is CubeSat-compatible. Despite its minute volume, CHICO is expected to perform similarly to the IES (aka FSH) integrated into the LCI Instrument to be flown on the Air Force Demonstration and Science eXperiments (DSX) mission. We describe the impressive energy and angular resolution for energetic electrons of the CHICO sensor system.
Compact Half-Unit Imaging Electron Spectrometer for CubeSat Operations (CHICO)
Previous satellite missions have demonstrated that portions of the magnetosphere, such as the High Latitude Trapping Boundaries (HLTBs), are very sensitive to solar activity. At the HLTBs, the Earth's field lines combine with the so called Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), and represent the poleward termini of the radiation belts. The relationship of the HLBT to changes in the solar wind and the IMF has not been characterized in any detail and must be studied further. Such exploration will undoubtedly yield insight on how to mitigate the effects of spaceweather phenomena on orbiting spacecraft as well as provide a capability for forecasting. The Compact Half-unit Imaging electron spectrometer for CubeSat Operations (CHICO) project aims to provide a cost-effective, miniaturized Imaging Electron Spectrometer (IES) to assist in addressing the problem of spaceweather. Designed around the Readout Electronics for Nuclear Applications (RENA3) chip, the instrument will measure energetic particle flux as its host satellite passes through the HLTBs. CHICO occupies a volume smaller than 500 cm3 and is CubeSat-compatible. Despite its minute volume, CHICO is expected to perform similarly to the IES (aka FSH) integrated into the LCI Instrument to be flown on the Air Force Demonstration and Science eXperiments (DSX) mission. We describe the impressive energy and angular resolution for energetic electrons of the CHICO sensor system.
