Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites
Abstract Satellite‐atmosphere interactions cause large uncertainties in low‐Earth orbit determination and prediction. Thus, knowledge of and the ability to predict the space environment, most notably thermospheric mass density, are essential for operating satellites in this domain. Recent progress h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Space Weather |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002736 |
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| _version_ | 1841536405333868544 |
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| author | Eric K. Sutton Jeffrey P. Thayer Marcin D. Pilinski Shaylah M. Mutschler Thomas E. Berger Vu Nguyen Dallas Masters |
| author_facet | Eric K. Sutton Jeffrey P. Thayer Marcin D. Pilinski Shaylah M. Mutschler Thomas E. Berger Vu Nguyen Dallas Masters |
| author_sort | Eric K. Sutton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Satellite‐atmosphere interactions cause large uncertainties in low‐Earth orbit determination and prediction. Thus, knowledge of and the ability to predict the space environment, most notably thermospheric mass density, are essential for operating satellites in this domain. Recent progress has been made toward supplanting the existing empirical, operational methods with physics‐based data‐assimilative models by accounting for the complex relationship between external drivers such as solar irradiance, Joule, and particle heating, and their response in the upper atmosphere. Simultaneously, a new era of CubeSat constellations is set to provide data with which to calibrate our upper‐atmosphere models at higher spatial resolution and temporal cadence. With this in mind, we provide an initial method for converting precision orbit determination solutions from global navigation satellite system enabled CubeSats into timeseries of thermospheric mass density. This information is then fused with a physics‐based, data‐assimilative technique to provide calibrated model densities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5f1ae647fedd47f48a87b0cfd28ecb5b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1542-7390 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Space Weather |
| spelling | doaj-art-5f1ae647fedd47f48a87b0cfd28ecb5b2025-01-14T16:30:36ZengWileySpace Weather1542-73902021-06-01196n/an/a10.1029/2021SW002736Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small SatellitesEric K. Sutton0Jeffrey P. Thayer1Marcin D. Pilinski2Shaylah M. Mutschler3Thomas E. Berger4Vu Nguyen5Dallas Masters6Space Weather Technology, Research, and Education Center (SWx TREC) University of Colorado at Boulder CO USASpace Weather Technology, Research, and Education Center (SWx TREC) University of Colorado at Boulder CO USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) University of Colorado at Boulder CO USAAnn and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences University of Colorado at Boulder CO USASpace Weather Technology, Research, and Education Center (SWx TREC) University of Colorado at Boulder CO USASpire Global, Inc. Boulder CO USASpire Global, Inc. Boulder CO USAAbstract Satellite‐atmosphere interactions cause large uncertainties in low‐Earth orbit determination and prediction. Thus, knowledge of and the ability to predict the space environment, most notably thermospheric mass density, are essential for operating satellites in this domain. Recent progress has been made toward supplanting the existing empirical, operational methods with physics‐based data‐assimilative models by accounting for the complex relationship between external drivers such as solar irradiance, Joule, and particle heating, and their response in the upper atmosphere. Simultaneously, a new era of CubeSat constellations is set to provide data with which to calibrate our upper‐atmosphere models at higher spatial resolution and temporal cadence. With this in mind, we provide an initial method for converting precision orbit determination solutions from global navigation satellite system enabled CubeSats into timeseries of thermospheric mass density. This information is then fused with a physics‐based, data‐assimilative technique to provide calibrated model densities.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002736gnss‐enabled cubesatsgps‐enabled cubesatsorbital energyprecision orbit determinationsatellite dragthermospheric density |
| spellingShingle | Eric K. Sutton Jeffrey P. Thayer Marcin D. Pilinski Shaylah M. Mutschler Thomas E. Berger Vu Nguyen Dallas Masters Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites Space Weather gnss‐enabled cubesats gps‐enabled cubesats orbital energy precision orbit determination satellite drag thermospheric density |
| title | Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites |
| title_full | Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites |
| title_fullStr | Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites |
| title_short | Toward Accurate Physics‐Based Specifications of Neutral Density Using GNSS‐Enabled Small Satellites |
| title_sort | toward accurate physics based specifications of neutral density using gnss enabled small satellites |
| topic | gnss‐enabled cubesats gps‐enabled cubesats orbital energy precision orbit determination satellite drag thermospheric density |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021SW002736 |
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