The DYNamics Atmosphere GLObal-Connection (DYNAGLO) CubeSat mission

The upcoming DYNamics Atmosphere GLObal-Connection (DYNAGLO) CubeSat mission will help fill a crucial observational gap in the thermosphere. DYNAGLO’s primary science goal is to determine what spectrum of gravity waves are present in the thermosphere and to what extent are they driven by lower atmospheric sources of gravity waves? Estimated to launch in early 2026, DYNAGLO is a constellation of two 6U CubeSats in a string-of-pearls configuration, each with a miniaturized Far Ultraviolet Imager (FUVI) to provide common volume 2D swaths (latitude, longitude) of neutral density variations and aurora emission. DYNAGLO will measure the emission from atomic oxygen (135.6nm) and nitrogen from the Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) emission bands that are present in the Earth’s thermosphere. These emissions will be used as dynamical tracers to provide a direct measure of gravity wave and aurora activity. One CubeSat can measure GW characteristics, two CubeSats flying in formation will allow a direct measure of thermosphere GW phase speed and direction of propagation and aurora oval variability on timescales of seconds. This presentation will discuss how DYNAGLO’s science objectives drive the overall novel mission concept.