petitSat - A 6U CubeSat to examine ionospheric plasma density irregularities

Jeffrey Klenzing ¹ Ryan Davidson ² Gregory Earle ³ Alexa Halford ⁴ Sarah Jones ¹ Carlos Martinis ⁵ Nikolaos Paschalidis ¹ Robert Pfaff ¹ Jonathon Smith ^1,6

¹Heliophysics Science Division, NASA / GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, USA
²Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
³Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
⁴Space Sciences Department, The Aerospace Corporation, Chantilly, VA, USA
⁵Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
⁶Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA

The mid- and low-latitude ionosphere is home to a variety of plasma density irregularities, including depletions (bubbles), enhancements (blobs), and small-scale scintillation, which result in the distortion of radio wave propagation. Recent observations from the C/NOFS satellite suggest that multiple mechanisms are responsible for forming plasma density enhancements, with wave action in the thermosphere as a significant driver of the enhanced densities. Indeed, statistical analysis of enhancements observed from satellites resembles the statistics of Medium-Scale Traveling Ionosphere Disturbances (MSTIDs) with respect to seasonal variability and solar activity. In order to investigate the link between these two phenomena, both in-situ data of the plasma enhancement and remote data of the MSTID at the magnetic footpoint are required. petitSat is a CubeSat mission designed to provide in situ measurements of the plasma density, 3D ion drift, as well as ion and neutral composition. The instrument suite includes a combined retarding potential analyzer and cross-track drift meter and a neutral mass spectrometer. This instrument suite will provide comprehensive information about the fluctuations in plasma, as well as changes in the neutral profile. petitSat will launch into a 51 deg inclination orbit at 400 km (consistent with an International Space Station deployment), allowing for numerous conjunctions with the Boston University All-Sky Imager network and GPS receivers from the International Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Service (IGS) network over the mission lifetime.