Taranis mission

TARANIS is a CNES scientific mission based on a microsatellite belonging to CNES Myriade series and dedicated to the study of impulsive transfers of energy between the Earth`s atmosphere and the space environment. Objectives more precisely focus on the determination of the mechanisms at the origin of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) and on their effects on the Earth environment. The scientific objectives of the TARANIS mission fall into three broad categories:

• Advance physical understanding of the links between TLEs, TGFs and environmental conditions.
• Identify other potential signatures of impulsive transfers of energy and provide inputs to test generation mechanisms.
• Provide inputs for the modelling of the effects of TLEs, TGFs and bursts of precipitated and accelerated electrons on the Earth’s atmosphere.

To reach these objectives, the TARANIS scientific payload is composed of six scientific instruments:

• MCP : optical sensors,
• XGRE : X and gamma ray sensor,
• IDEE : high energy electrons sensor,
• IME-BF : low frequency electric field antenna,
• IME-HF : high frequency electric field antenna,
• IMM : 3 axis magnetic field search coil,

The total mass of the spacecraft will be around 185 kg and its volume less than 1 m³.

TARANIS will be the first space mission fully dedicated to the detection and observations from space with a complete range of scientific captors (optical, radiation, electro magnetism) of the TLE and TGF phenomena.

The satellite is planned to be launched in the spring of 2020 from Kourou (French Guyana) on a VEGA launcher.