Ionospheric Variability as Observed by the CTECS and CORISS Sensors
Abstract
The Compact Total Electron Content Sensor (CTECS) is a GPS radio occultation instrument designed for cubesat platforms that utilizes a COTS receiver, modified firmware, and a custom designed antenna. CTECS was placed on the Pico Satellite Solar Cell Testbed 2 (PSSC2) nanosat that was installed on the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-135). PSSC2 was successfully released from the shuttle on 20 July 2011 near 380 km altitude. Because of attitude control and power issues, only 13.5 hours of data was collected during its approximately 5-month mission life. The C/NOFS Occultation Receiver for Ionospheric Sensing and Specification (CORISS) GPS radio occultation sensor on the C/NOFS satellite has collected data nearly continuously from May 2008 to June 2013. Both CTECS and CORISS obtain Total Electron Content and scintillation data. In this presentation the CTECS data is first validated against CORISS and available ground-based observations. Then combining the CTECS and CORISS data, low and mid latitude ionospheric variability including scintillation events is presented.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFMSA13B1955B
- Keywords:
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- 2443 IONOSPHERE Midlatitude ionosphere;
- 2494 IONOSPHERE Instruments and techniques;
- 2437 IONOSPHERE Ionospheric dynamics