Tony Mannucci & Bruce Tsurutani/JPL 1

The COSMIC-2 Mission:Opportunities for Heliophysics

Contributors:Anthony Mannucci and Bruce Tsurutani

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Ying-Hwa (Bill) Kuo, William SchreinerUniversity Corporation for Atmospheric Research

September 6, 2012

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Meeting Agenda

September 6, 2012

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Summary• COSMIC-2 mission is on track for launch in 2016 (USAF, NOAA,

Taiwan)• COSMIC-2 data will contribute to high priority science

objectives of the Decadal Survey– AIMI3: “Understand how forcing from the lower atmosphere via tidal,

planetary, and gravity waves, influences the ionosphere and thermosphere.”

• Aligned with DRIVE initiative and AIMI Imperative 2– “Provide a broad and robust range of space-based, suborbital, and

groundbased capabilities that enable frequent measurements of the AIM system from a variety of platforms, categories of cost, and levels of risk.”

• We suggest that NASA leverage COSMIC-2 to advance Heliophysics objectives

September 6, 2012

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Outline

• The COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 mission• The opportunity• Addressing Decadal Survey priorities• Discussion

September 6, 2012

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Why COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7?

• COSMIC-1/FORMOSAT-3 and C/NOFS successfully demonstrated the value of radio occultation for meeting AF operational needs

• AF procures systems that meet measurement requirements (e.g. NPOESS “Key Performance Parameters”)

September 6, 2012

Excerpt of electron density parameters key performance parameters

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COSMIC-2 Mission

• Six satellites, 24 degrees inclination, 520 km altitude

• Launch in 2016• Remote sensing (radio occultation) and in-situ

payloads measuring multiple plasma parameters and electric fields

• 100% duty cycle• 5-year mission life

September 6, 2012

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COSMIC-2 Orbits

September 6, 2012

• 520 km altitude, circular orbit• Continuous in-situ data• Six satellites• NSPO (Taiwan) constellation trade

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Radio Occultation Coverage

September 6, 2012

COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 Occultations – 3 Hrs Coverage

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COSMIC-2: Compelling Science For Heliophysics

“AIMI Science Priority 2: Understand how tropospheric weather influences space weather.”• C-2 simultaneously measures tropospheric and

stratospheric waves and ionospheric densities in the E- and F-region ionosphere

• C-2 continuously samples vertical ion drifts and irregularities near the F-region peak

• Potentially highest low-latitude sampling among the proposed Heliophysics missions

September 6, 2012

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The next 3 slides are taken from Toshitaka Tsuda’s Presentations on the EQUARS Satellite

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Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling at Low Latitudes

September 6, 2012

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Comparison of a temperature profile between GPS/MET and a nearby radiosonde (Indonesia)

RMS Difference Upper Troposphere　 ～ 1 K Stratosphere 　～ 2 K(Fluctuations due to Atmospheric Waves) 　

● Detailed temperature structure near the tropopause

(6.9S,107.6E)

⇒⇒

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Longitude Distribution of temperature variance, water vapor and surface topography at 5-25S on February 2-16, 1997

← Maximum of Ne perturbations in the MLT region (80-120 km)

← Temperature variance at 22-28 km (solid) and 32-38 km (dot)

← Water vapor pressure at 6 km from GPS/MET (solid) and ECMWF (dot)

← Mean height of surface topography at 5-25S

← Number of occultation events from GPS/MET 　

Good correlation between ΔNe, Ep and humidity is recognized.

South America Africa Indonesia

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Potential of COSMIC-2 Science

• Preliminary data using radio occultation and other instruments clearly suggests evidence of meteorological control of the ionosphere

• COSMIC-2 should be further investigated as a major Heliophysics resource

September 6, 2012

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COSMIC-2 Payloads• Radio occultation instrument based on NASA/JPL TriG

(primary payload)– Precise ionospheric TEC measurements– Electron density profile retrievals

• Space science payloads– Langmuir probe (electron density, fluctuations, temperature)*– Ion velocity meter (electric fields, ion composition, temperature

and density)*– Beacon transmitter (ionospheric irregularities, UHF and L-band

scintillations)

September 6, 2012

*DYNAMIC carries similar instruments

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Radio Occultation Remote Sensing

Six-satellite COSMIC constellationLaunch April 2006

Low-Earth OrbiterGPS

3000 profiles/day

ElectronDensityProfile

COSMIC coverage

September 6, 2012

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COSMIC-2 Measurements

September 6, 2012

The potential value of these measurements to Heliophysics science should be investigated

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The COSMIC-2 Science Opportunity

• COSMIC-2 Level 1 requirements are derived from operational considerations– Measurement objectives well defined– Operational centers will be ready to receive the data

• The measurements have significant science value: COSMIC-2 can provide insights on a high priority Decadal science question, yet

• There is no COSMIC-2 infrastructure for science

September 6, 2012

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Potential Way Forward• NASA responds to Decadal “DRIVE” initiative and AIMI

imperative– Diversify, small satellites, interagency cooperation

• NASA convene a “science definition team” to determine science questions that can be addressed by COSMIC-2

• If sufficiently compelling, develop an approach to deliver NASA quality science from COSMIC-2– Leverage existing measurement requirements– Form competitively selected science teams to deliver science data

and answer science questions– Guest investigator opportunities– Low cost, high impact

September 6, 2012

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The Benefits of COSMIC-2 to Heliophysics

• COSMIC-2 science potential is highly relevant to Decadal priorities

• Expand the Heliophysics Observatory with six additional satellites

• Reduces risk and increases science return from DYNAMIC

September 6, 2012

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Summary• COSMIC-2 mission is on track for launch in 2016 (USAF, NOAA,

Taiwan)• COSMIC-2 data will contribute to high priority science

objectives of the Decadal Survey– AIMI3: “Understand how forcing from the lower atmosphere via tidal,

planetary, and gravity waves, influences the ionosphere and thermosphere.”

• Aligned with DRIVE initiative and AIMI Imperative 2– “Provide a broad and robust range of space-based, suborbital, and

groundbased capabilities that enable frequent measurements of the AIM system from a variety of platforms, categories of cost, and levels of risk.”

• We suggest that NASA leverage COSMIC-2 to advance Heliophysics objectives

September 6, 2012