RAPID: The Double-probe Instrumentation for Measuring Electric-fields (DIME) CubeSat

这是一项短期(不到一年)的努力，目的是完成具有测量高层大气电场能力的立方体卫星的建造、功能测试和仪器校准。DIME(双探头电场测量仪器)立方体卫星概念建立在美国国家科学基金会资助的动态电离层立方体卫星实验(DICE)项目的基础上，旨在测量高层大气中的主要空间天气扰动。DICE是首批被选中并飞行的NSF立方体卫星任务之一。骰子项目由两个立方体卫星组成，每个立方体卫星的重量不到2.2公斤。他们于2011年10月被发射到近地轨道，并在太空收集了两年的数据。每颗骰子卫星都搭载了一套三台科学仪器。然而，它们中只有两个在太空中成功运行。由于难以精确控制航天器在轨道上的自转，因此不可能展开组成电场仪器的长导线吊杆。因此，DICE航天器无法提供电场的测量结果。满足对高层大气动力学中这一关键参数进行连续全球测量的需要，仍然是大气学和空间气象研究的一个关键目标和挑战。DIME项目的目标是继续开发一种以空间为基础的电场测量的创新方法。利用DICE任务的成功和经验教训，DIME被设想为下一代低成本、高能力的电离层传感器卫星天文台。新的发展包括改进立方体卫星的自旋稳定和控制，以及改进骰子电场部署机制。到目前为止，DIME的开发是由空军SBIR计划提供资金的，但还没有交付一颗装备齐全的卫星，准备发射并提供科学数据。在现有劳动力和专业知识到位的情况下，支持购买其余部件和完成DIME CubeSat的完整飞行组装，以及完成卫星功能测试和校准，是这一快速授标的主题。交付一颗完全可以发射的DIME CubeSat，将争取空军对卫星的发射和在轨运行的支持。一位新毕业的工程师，作为一名学生参与了DICE项目，与一名博士后研究员合作，为该项目提供了一个独特的实验研究机会，将在这一努力下开展大部分工作。该项目还继续促进工业界、学术界和政府之间有价值的合作，涉及ASTRA(一家小企业)、空军研究实验室和犹他州立大学。全球电离层-热层(IT)行为有三个基本驱动因素：太阳UV/EUV辐射，太阳风-磁层相互作用和耦合到电离层和热层的高纬度强迫，以及来自低层大气的波和潮汐的强迫。虽然IT行为的原则被普遍接受，但完全了解完全耦合的电离层-热层-磁层系统需要对环境参数进行广泛的测量，而这些测量目前还无法获得。所需要的是同时多点测量电离层中的电场。这里的焦点是高纬度的强迫。虽然国家科学基金会资助的地面雷达和DMSP卫星提供了电磁场测量，但没有足够的数据能够全面说明关键的高纬度位势模式、电场及其在空间和时间上的变异性。DIME传感器卫星具有作为探路者的独特潜力，这将为低成本、非常有能力的下一代空间气象立方体卫星平台铺平道路，从这些平台上观测系统驱动的电场和地球-S电离层的其他参数。未来的DIME平台星座可以提供网络化的全球电场测量。DIME设计还包括提供互补磁场和等离子体参数测量的仪器。通过这种方式，DIME构成了利用立方体卫星技术实现大回报地球空间科学飞行任务的关键一步，目标是解决悬而未决的系统科学和空间气象问题。

This is a short-term (less than one-year) effort to complete the construction, functional testing, and instrument calibration of a CubeSat with the capability to measure electric fields in the upper atmosphere. The DIME (Double-probe Instrumentation for Measuring Electric-fields) CubeSat concept builds on and further develops the NSF-funded Dynamic Ionosphere CubeSat Experiment (DICE) project aimed at measuring major space weather disturbances in the upper atmosphere. DICE was one of the first NSF CubeSat missions to be selected and flown. The DICE project consisted of two CubeSats weighing less than 2.2 kg each. They were launched into a low Earth orbit in October 2011 and collected data in space for two years. Each DICE satellite carried a suite of three scientific instruments. However, only two of them functioned successfully in space. Due to difficulties accurately controlling the spin of the spacecraft on orbit it was not possible to deploy the long wire booms that made up the electric field instruments. Thus, the DICE spacecraft could not provide measurements of the electric field. Fulfilling the need for continuous global measurements of this critical parameter in upper atmosphere dynamics remains a key goal and challenge for aeronomy and space weather research. The goal of the DIME project is to continue the development of an innovative approach to space-based measurement of the electric field. Leveraging the successes and lessons learned from the DICE mission DIME is envisioned as the next generation low cost, highly capable ionospheric sensor-sat observatory. New developments include improvements in the spin stabilization and control of the CubeSat, as well as improvements to the DICE electric field deployment mechanism. The DIME development so far has been funded under the Air Force SBIR program but falls short of delivering a fully equipped satellite that is ready to be launched and provide scientific data. Support for the purchase of the remaining parts and completion of the full flight assembly of the DIME CubeSat, and also for the completion of the satellite functional testing and calibration, while the present workforce and expertise is in place is the subject of this RAPID award. Delivery of a fully launch-ready DIME CubeSat, will enlist support from the Air Force for the launch and operation on orbit of the satellite. A newly graduated engineer, who worked as a student on the DICE project, in collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher, who with this project is offered a unique experimental research opportunity, will carry out most of the work under this effort. The project also continues to foster valuable collaboration between industry, academia, and government, involving ASTRA (a small business), the Air Force Research Laboratory, and Utah State University. There are three fundamental drivers of global ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) behavior: solar UV/EUV radiation, high latitude forcing from solar wind-magnetosphere interaction and coupling to the ionosphere and thermosphere, and forcing by waves and tides from the lower atmosphere. While the principles of IT behavior are generally accepted, a complete understanding of the fully coupled ionosphere-thermosphere-magnetosphere system requires extensive measurements of environmental parameters that are not currently available. What are needed are simultaneous multipoint measurements of the electric field in the ionosphere. Focus here is on the high latitude forcing. While E-field measurements have been available from NSF-funded ground-based radars and the DMSP satellites, there is insufficient data to enable a comprehensive specification of the key high latitude potential pattern, electric fields, and their variability in space and time. The DIME sensor-sat has a unique potential to be a pathfinder that will pave the way for low-cost, very capable, next generation space weather CubeSat platforms from which to observe the system-driving electric field and other parameters in the Earth?s ionosphere. Future constellations of DIME platforms could provide networked, global measurements of the electric field. The DIME design additionally includes instrumentation to provide complementary magnetic field and plasma parameter measurements. In this way, DIME constitutes a key step in enabling large-return Geospace science missions using CubeSat technologies, targeting outstanding unanswered system-science and space weather questions.