SWAP-E Satellites

SWAP-E is a Space Weather ThinSat constellation Array Experiment with Prompt data for forecasting and decision making.

Novel and compressed Space Weather instruments are being developed by NSL partners. Each satellite can be divided into two ThinSat sections separated by a 20 cm foldout to serve as a

1. sensor boom,
2. quiet low noise Faraday sensor box,
3. passively cooled from -40 to + 40 C platform, and
4. cleaner sealed sensor environment depending on sensor requirements.

The Space Weather NASA SBIR Phase II consists of 4 satellites with each dimension 7.5x10x20cm. 

A Space Weather (SW) array of 4 dual CubeSats (seen in Figure 10) released from a standard 6U deployer are linked through the Iridium constellation to provide near real-time ionospheric forecasting for 1000’s of satellites. Each CubeSat provides low-latency connections via space-space links in a redundant, time-ordered, and common database (O2R) for prompt 24/7 data with a delay of seconds. In addition, an S-band transmitter is available high data rate links when needed.

Each CubeSat string includes foldouts that separate the relatively noisy ThinSat Bus section from the quiet and cooled ThinSat Payload section to improve sensor performance. The SWAP-E 6U array of 4 CubeSats gives pole-to-pole orbit data every 12 minutes in the underexplored Space Weather VLEO region 100 to 400 km. Prompt and multipoint SW sensors improve rapid forecasting and understanding new energy transfer with the goal to deliver end user action.