Collaborative Research: RAPID--Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment (DICE) Operations and Data Processing

这是一项短期(不到一年)的努力，目的是为NSF动态电离层立方体卫星实验(DICE)空间气象任务开发和实施准确的操作姿态确定算法。它将支持开发所需的软件模块以及两颗DICE卫星的继续运作。软件模块的完成将产生来自卫星上朗缪尔探测器的校正后的电子密度和温度数据。更重要的是，它还将使业务能力能够检索卫星姿态信息，以便两颗卫星能够可靠地引导到适当的方向，以便成功部署电子场吊杆。这些任务将由犹他州立大学(USU)、大气与航天技术研究协会和安布里-里德尔航空大学(ERAU)的科学家和工程师共同完成。该项目将通过让USU和ERAU的学生参与卫星操作和数据分析任务来促进教育和学习。动态电离层立方体实验(DICE)是美国国家科学基金会第一批选择和飞行的立方体任务之一。骰子项目由两颗立方体卫星组成，每个立方体卫星的重量都不到2.2公斤，它们于2011年10月28日发射到高度偏心的近地轨道。DICE CubeSats一起测量电离层中电场和电子密度的梯度。DICE项目的主要科学目标是研究风暴增强密度(SED)的原因，这是一种主要的空间天气干扰和担忧。

This is a short term (less than one-year) effort to develop and implement an accurate operational attitude determination algorithm for the NSF Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment (DICE) space weather mission. It will support the development of required software modules as well as continued operation of the two DICE satellites. Completion of the software modules will result in corrected calibrated electron density and temperature data from the Langmuir Probes onboard the satellites. More importantly, it will also enable an operational capability to retrieve the satellite attitude information so that both satellites can be reliably steered into the appropriate orientation for the E-field booms to be successfully deployed. This, in turn, will enable E-field measurements to be obtained, and the full science mission to be completed.The tasks will be carried out as a collaborative effort between scientists and engineers at Utah State University (USU), Atmospheric & Space Tech Research Associates, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). The project will promote education and learning by involving students at USU and ERAU in both the satellite operations and data analysis tasks.The Dynamic Ionosphere Cubesat Experiment (DICE) is one of the first NSF Cubesat missions to be selected and flown. The DICE project consists of two CubeSats, weighing less than 2.2 kg each, which were launched into a highly eccentric low Earth orbit on October 28, 2011. Together the DICE CubeSats measure gradients of electric fields and electron densities in the ionosphere. The main science goal of the DICE project is to study the causes of storm enhanced densities (SED), which is a major space weather disturbance and concern.