Session
Session 4: Instruments / Science I
Abstract
The International Satellite Program in Research and Education’s (INSPIRE) first satellite is an ionosphere exploring microsat slated for launch in November of 2019 onboard an ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The microsat is a custom designed structure fitting on a PSLV ring deployer. The payload is the Compact Ionosphere Probe (CIP) which will take in-situ measurements of ion density, composition, temperature, velocity, and electron temperature. The CIP is a smaller version of the Advanced Ionosphere Probe (both developed in Taiwan) currently operating onboard the FORMOSAT-5. These instruments take measurements in four modes sampling the ionosphere at 1 or 8 Hz. The primary science objectives of the INSPIRESat-1 are twofold. First, enabling a greater understanding of the temporal and spatial distributions of small-scale plasma irregularities like plasma bubbles and second a characterization of the Midnight Temperature Maximum (MTM) in season, location, and time. In this paper, we present science expectations for the INSPIRESat-1 and consider the potential for coordinated measurements between three platforms carrying the same instrument (INSPIRESat-1, IDEASat/INSPIRESat-2, FORMOSAT-5). We also highlight the program management strategy used by the INSPIRE program in developing an internationally developed microsat.
INSPIRESat-1: An Ionosphere Exploring Microsat
The International Satellite Program in Research and Education’s (INSPIRE) first satellite is an ionosphere exploring microsat slated for launch in November of 2019 onboard an ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The microsat is a custom designed structure fitting on a PSLV ring deployer. The payload is the Compact Ionosphere Probe (CIP) which will take in-situ measurements of ion density, composition, temperature, velocity, and electron temperature. The CIP is a smaller version of the Advanced Ionosphere Probe (both developed in Taiwan) currently operating onboard the FORMOSAT-5. These instruments take measurements in four modes sampling the ionosphere at 1 or 8 Hz. The primary science objectives of the INSPIRESat-1 are twofold. First, enabling a greater understanding of the temporal and spatial distributions of small-scale plasma irregularities like plasma bubbles and second a characterization of the Midnight Temperature Maximum (MTM) in season, location, and time. In this paper, we present science expectations for the INSPIRESat-1 and consider the potential for coordinated measurements between three platforms carrying the same instrument (INSPIRESat-1, IDEASat/INSPIRESat-2, FORMOSAT-5). We also highlight the program management strategy used by the INSPIRE program in developing an internationally developed microsat.
