Space Weather Projects and Core Activities
NANOSATELLITES FOR OPERATIONAL SPACE WEATHER
Dedicated nanosatellite missions are cost-efficient and dynamic ways to perform many space weather observations that would otherwise be challenging or impossible with hosted payloads. Nanosatellite missions are part of the Distributed Space Weather Sensor System (D3S) that is being implemented in the Space Safety Programme to monitor the space environment near Earth and the impact of space weather events on our local environment. D3S observations include monitoring the magnetic field, neutral and charged particles, the plasma environment, auroral oval, upper atmosphere and other parameters required by space weather services. Nanosatellite missions are a key part of implementing D3S to demonstrate, for the first time, the use of such satellites as part of a space weather monitoring system providing data for operational applications.
The first D3S nanosatellite mission is planned to monitor the magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere from a CubeSat platform utilising high technology readiness level (TRL) components. The instruments include two radiation monitors and a magnetometer to collect data on the magnetosphere and radiation belts, a radio beacon to characterise the ionosphere, and an ion and neutrals spectrometer for measurements of the thermosphere. Concept studies of other innovative nanosatellite missions are ongoing by teams chosen by ESA from proposals submitted to an Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) call in 2021 and will reach the end of Phase A in 2022. The mission implementation through Phase B/C/D/E1 is proposed in Period 2 of Space Safety Program. The nanosat missions are foreseen to follow the New Space approach – with accelerated implementation and greater flexibility due to miniaturised instruments and dynamics while respecting ESA guidelines for the sustainable use of space. Other elements of D3S are implemented through hosted payload missions, ground-based observations, and the Aurora mission.
AURORA MONITORING MISSION
One of the most visible effects of space weather on Earth is the Aurora Borealis. Monitoring of the Aurora is an essential and central nowcasting and forecasting element since it enables indirectly the observation of the Solar Wind variations and the impact of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), which may cause geo-magnetic storms and sub-storms when hitting the Earth.
Aurora phenomenon is a direct manifestation of physical processes occurring when the magnetosphere responds to the solar wind and CMEs plasma streams that strongly alter the interplanetary and geomagnetic field of the Earth. Auroral emissions (optical, far-UV and X-ray) on the day and night-side and their time sequence contain information about the characteristics of the particles flow and about physical and chemical processes occurring locally and in the upper atmosphere, namely the ionosphere. Observations at the boundary of the auroral oval may be used as input to the modelling of geo-magnetic storm conditions, and finally the posteriori reconstruction furthering the understanding of space weather events. Additional instrumentation dedicated to in-situ measurements in the polar regions may be used to determine the underlying conditions such as plasma drift velocities, magnetic and transpolar magnetospheric electric fields, field aligned currents as well as the particle precipitation densities.
Aurora research shall fill this specific gap and improve services dependent on the modelling of the Earth’s magnetic and electric field and currents (services that are used for example, for aviation, transport in high latitude regions, telecommunication, search and rescue, and power grid operation). The Aurora satellites shall constantly monitor the Auroral oval and the location of on-going geomagnetic storms and sub-storms and provide information to the locally affected users support nowcasting and forecasting of Aurora visibility for the tourism sector. The socio-economic impact of solar storms on human-made space and ground assets may reach up to €15 billion for a single major solar event.
The foreseen implementation of the mission, in Space Safety Programme Period 2, includes a demonstration mission (Aurora-D) with a single satellite focused on the Auroral oval imaging, followed by a full constellation mission (Aurora-C) of four to six SmallSats in a later period. The full constellation will enable continuous (24/7) monitoring of the Auroral oval from an elliptical orbit with an apogee of at least 2500 km.
The core instrumentation of Aurora is a low resource Wide Field of View Auroral Imager (WFAI) consisting of two modular assemblies, the Auroral Optical Spectral Imager (AOSI) and the Auroral UV Imager (AUI). The assemblies are currently under development and will allow multi-spectral imaging, thereby enhancing the reconstruction of the involved processes and the location of their origin. Additionally, as a goal, a magnetometer, plasma monitor and/or neutral atom particle spectrometer shall be considered in form of an in-situ instruments suite. A radiation monitor is also considered as required, preferably as platform equipment.
Aurora-C is the first auroral imaging mission for operational applications. The SmallSat constellation will make progressively use of innovative and highly miniaturised space weather instrumentation, and be based on a robust, reliable, agile and versatile small satellite platform likely with obit rising capability. In order to improve the data latency the use of an inter-satellite or in-space communication link may be considered for Aurora-C. The orbital constellation, satellite configuration (platform and instrumentation), ground segment, operation and launch scenario (including micro-launchers) of Aurora-D and Aurora-C are subject to optimisation conducted in the frame of the Auroral Oval Monitoring re-orientation Phase A
study that is part of S2P Period 1. For both mission elements, based on the assessment made during the Space Weather SmallSat (SWS) Phase A/B1 study, the estimated CaC is 50 M€ each. The replenishment of the constellation is potentially subject to commercialisation.
Space Weather Core
The objective of the Space Weather System is to achieve a better space weather protection for Europe by supporting mitigation of adverse space weather impacts on the European infrastructure on Earth or in space and thus reducing the socio-economic costs.
Key elements and objectives of the Space Weather Core:
* Achieve better space weather protection for Europe by developing a robust system capable of providing timely and reliable space weather information to affected end users.
* Unlock European potential for providing accurate and reliable space weather services to end users in domains ranging from spacecraft operations and human spaceflight to power grid operations on Earth.
* Continue outsourcing the work at all service layers to European institutes and industry through the Space Weather Service Network.
* Enhance the Space Weather Service Network which as of 2022 provides access to 29 user-driven services in demonstration and testing, with more than 2000 registered users, 1.5-2.0M Service Portal hits per month and network of over 50 expert groups in S2P Participating States, grouped according to 5 Expert Service Centres (ESCs).
* Utilising results of developments in progress including the Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre (VSWMC) as a key underpinning element driving service enhancement across domains.
* Transition scientific research results and prototyping towards operations, enhancement of the user-driven space weather service concept and to develop end-to-end space weather modelling capability.
* Implement new capability demonstration with end users in the loop alongside targeted user training.
* Plan and implement hosted payload missions for D3S.
Space Weather Service Network has a well-defined Research to Operations (R2O)/ Operations to Research (O2R) process, and the functions for data processing, space weather event analysis, risk assessment and pre-operational service provision. Continuous online service provision is supported by a Space Weather helpdesk as part of the SSA SWE Coordination Centre (SSCC) and with second line expert support from the participating Expert Groups. Network provides highly reliable services, with a pre-operational service availability exceeding 95%. Currently the 29 services provided include over 200 products addressing around 50% of the product requirements, and follow common procedures and practices e.g. for product integration & interruption warning. The service provision is subject to continuous improvement by engaging users through test campaigns, bulletins & dedicated meetings, and by feeding results into development planning.