The Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment (SWARM-EX) Mission

The Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment (SWARM-EX) mission is an NSF-funded endeavor to design, build, and fly three 3U CubeSats to measure the plasma density and neutral oxygen in the Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly (EIA) and Equatorial Thermospheric Anomaly (ETA). Each satellite will carry a FIPEX oxygen sensor and a Lagmuir probe to measure these features. The swarm formation enables the investigation of the persistence and variability in the EIA/ETA over timescales of less than one orbital period (~90 minutes). Thus, the SWARM-EX mission will contribute to understanding of how the EIA/ETA are correlated with each other and how they change over time.

In addition to these science objectives, SWARM-EX will demonstrate an autonomous reconfigurable small satellite formation-flying network with variable separation distances from one kilometer to hundreds of kilometers, depending on the temporal and geometric coverage measurement requirements. SWARM-EX also has an educational goal. As a collaboration between six schools across the US – University of Colorado Boulder, Olin College, University of South Alabama, University of Western Michigan, Stanford University, and Georgia Tech – this mission serves as an opportunity for students across the six schools to engage in technical training and public outreach.