RAPID: Science Mission Planning, On-orbit Commissioning and Science Activation of the Ionosphere Thermosphere Scanning Photometer for Ion-Neutral Studies (IT-SPINS) Cubesat Mission

用于离子中性研究的电离层热层扫描光度计(IT-SPINS)立方体卫星将提供对地球电离层组成的新观测，其变化影响空间天气。这一快速奖项将支持重大的任务规划任务，以准备最近发射的卫星，该卫星是根据之前的NSF奖项开发的，以实现其科学目标。项目任务包括确定最佳科学操作模式，在卫星部署到其所需轨道后调试和检查，以及验证科学操作以获得尽可能长的科学任务持续时间。这些都是对时间高度敏感的任务，需要迅速授予赠款。蒙大拿州立大学的本科生和研究生将继续是该项目的主要参与者。此外，萨利什·库特奈学院(一所部落赠地社区学院)的学生和一名教职员工将参与任务规划和卫星操作，促进STEM研究和教育的多样性。IT-SPINS立方体卫星调查的主要科学目标是了解电离层顶部过渡区的行为，在该边界，电离层中的氧离子通过电荷交换碰撞与地球上层大气的低质量成分相互作用。IT-SPINS将通过对夜间电离层135.6 nm辐射的遥感，从低地球轨道观测电离层顶部的氧离子分布。在大流行期间具有挑战性的环境下完成的立方体卫星于2021年2月发射升空，目前处于国际空间站的临时停车轨道，将于2021年5月从那里部署到其独特的科学调查轨道。这个快速项目通过委托IT-Spins立方体卫星并执行科学操作测试和评估来利用NSF之前的投资。由于卫星重新进入轨道之前在轨时间非常有限，谨慎的做法是在部署到所需轨道之前执行这些任务(用于规划和模拟)，并在部署后尽快执行这些任务(用于运行评估)，以便获得尽可能长的科学任务持续时间。这次飞行任务的更广泛的科学影响将是通过增进对近地等离子体环境中质量物种分布的空间和时间变化驱动因素的了解，改进与地球电离层动态过程有关的空间天气预报。通过将包括部落大学生在内的学生纳入任务规划、卫星测试和科学操作的方方面面，该项目将扩大对空间物理和空间天气的参与。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Ionosphere Thermosphere Scanning Photometer for Ion-Neutral Studies (IT-SPINS) cubesat will provide novel observations of the composition of Earth’s ionosphere, whose variations influence space weather. This RAPID award will support significant mission planning tasks to prepare the recently launched satellite, developed under previous NSF awards, to achieve its scientific goals. Project tasks include identifying optimal science operation modes, commissioning and checking out the satellite upon deployment to its desired orbit, and verifying science operations in order to get the longest possible science mission duration. These are highly time sensitive tasks, necessitating a RAPID grant award. Undergraduate and graduate students at Montana State University will continue to be integral participants in the project. Additionally, students and a faculty member from the Salish Kootenai College (a tribal land-grant community college) will participate in mission planning and satellite operations, advancing diversity in STEM research and education.The primary science goal for the IT-SPINS cubesat investigation is to understand the behavior of the topside transition region of the ionosphere, the boundary wherein oxygen ions in the ionosphere interact with low mass constituents of the Earth’s upper atmosphere through charge exchange collisions. IT-SPINS will profile the oxygen ion distribution in the topside ionosphere from low Earth orbit through remote sensing of 135.6nm emissions from the nighttime ionosphere. Completed under challenging circumstances during the pandemic, the cubesat was launched in February 2021 and is in an interim parking orbit on the International Space Station, from where it will be deployed in May 2021 to its unique orbit for science investigations. This RAPID project capitalizes on previous NSF investments by commissioning the IT-SPINS cubesat and performing science operations testing and evaluation. Owing to the very limited time on orbit prior to reentry of the satellite, it is prudent to perform these tasks before deployment into the desired orbit (for planning and simulations) and as quickly as practical after deployment (for operations evaluations) in order to get the longest possible science mission duration. The scientific broader impact of the mission will be to improve space weather prediction related to dynamic processes in Earth’s ionosphere by increasing understanding of the drivers for spatial and temporal variations in the mass species distribution in the near-Earth plasma environment. By integrating students, including tribal college students, into all aspects of the mission planning, satellite testing, and science operations, this project will broaden participation in space physics and space weather.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.