A Satellite Mission Concept to Study Thermosphere-Ionosphere Coupling
Abstract
A great number of space-based assets needed for Earth monitoring, research, and communications are used by a variety of agencies. Many of these assets orbit at altitudes within the upper thermosphere and ionosphere. At such altitudes the orbit of satellites can be greatly affected by the neutral atmosphere, whose dynamics are strongly driven by interactions with the ionosphere and ultimately by geospace phenomena like geomagnetic storms. Maintenance of the space catalogue and protection of our space-based assets requires fundamental understanding of this region of space and the coupling between the thermosphere and ionosphere. The TICOPS (Thermosphere Ionosphere Coupling and Orbit Prediction System) mission concept aims to achieve exactly this understanding through key measurements and advancement of models. TICOPS is a constellation of satellites to directly measure ALL the quantities in the satellite drag equation, enabling (1) immediate significant improvement in nowcasts and forecasts of atmospheric density, winds and composition; and (2) input to physics-based data assimilative models which will form the next generation products used in drag prediction. TICOPS consists of 3 satellites, two at high altitude (500-600km), I-COPS1 and 2, measuring incoming energy input, the third, T-COPS, at low altitude (~300km) measuring the thermospheric response. The mission goals are accomplished through 4 specific experiments: (1) Remote measurements of thermospheric neutral winds and validation, (2) In-situ thermospheric probe, (3) Energy input distribution over the thermosphere, and (4) Satellite drag coefficients.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010AGUFMSA13A..08P
- Keywords:
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- 0358 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Thermosphere: energy deposition;
- 2427 IONOSPHERE / Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions;
- 7954 SPACE WEATHER / Magnetic storms;
- 7969 SPACE WEATHER / Satellite drag