LLITED Spacecraft

Provide measurements related to the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and the Equatorial Temperature and Wind Anomaly (ETWA).

Provide both ionosphere and thermosphere measurements related to the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and the Equatorial Temperature and Wind Anomaly (ETWA). Ionization gauge, planar ion probe and GPS radio occulatation sensor.

Both LLITED-A and LLITED-B spacecraft completed early orbit check out and commissioning, but due to a solar cell anomaly are operating with a significant reduction in power. This has resulted in a much lower duty cycle for each of the three science payloads: an ionization gauge (MIGSI) to observe neutral density, a planar ion probe (PIP) to observe plasma density, and a GPS radio occultation sensor for observing (CTECS-A) total electron content. The combination of the operating orbit and power budget has required a refocusing of the mission science goals and a highly tailored ConOps.