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NASA NTRS2016

An Integral Field Spectrograph Utilizing Mirrorlet Arrays

An integral field spectrograph (IFS) has been developed that utilizes a new and novel optical design to observe two spatial dimensions simultaneously with one spectral dimension. This design employs an optical 2-D array of reflecting and focusing mirrorlets. This mirrorlet array is placed at the imaging plane of the front-end telescope to generate a 2-D array of tiny spots replacing what would be the slit in a traditional slit spectrometer design. After the mirrorlet in the optical path, a grating on a concave mirror surface will image the spot array and provide high-resolution spectrum for each spatial element at the same time; therefore, the IFS simultaneously obtains the 3-D data cube of two spatial and one spectral dimensions. The new mirrorlet technology is currently in-house and undergoing laboratory testing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Section 1 describes traditional classes of instruments that are used in Heliophysics missions and a quick introduction to the new IFS design. Section 2 discusses the details of the most generic mirrorlet IFS, while section 3 presents test results of a lab-based instrument. An example application to a Heliophysics mission to study solar eruptive events in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths is presented in section 4 that has high spatial resolution (0.5 arc sec pixels) in the two spatial dimensions and high spectral resolution (66 m) across a 15 spectral window. Section 4 also concludes with some other optical variations that could be employed on the more basic IFS for further capabilities of this type of instrument.

Chamberlin, Phillip C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Hinode: A Decade of Success in Capturing Solar Activity

As the present solar cycle passes into its minimum phase, the Hinode mission marks its tenth year of investigating solar activity. Hinode's decade of successful observations have provided us with immeasurable insight into the solar processes that invoke space weather and thereby affect the interplanetary environment in which we reside. The mission's complementary suite of instruments allows us to probe transient, high energy events alongside long-term, cycle-dependent phenomena from magnetic fields at the Sun's surface out to highly thermalized coronal plasma enveloping active regions (ARs). These rich data sets have already changed the face of solar physics and will continue to provoke exciting research as new observational paradigms are pursued. Hinode was launched as part of the Science Mission Directorate's (SMD) Solar Terrestrial Probes Program in 2006. It is a sophisticated spacecraft equipped with a Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), an Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), and an X-Ray Telescope (XRT) (see x 4). With high resolution and sensitivity, Hinode serves as a microscope for the Sun, providing us with unique capabilities for observing magnetic fields near the smallest scales achievable, while also rendering full-Sun coronal context in the highest thermal regimes. The 2014 NASA SMD strategic goals objective to "Understand the Sun and its interactions with the Earth and the solar system, including space weather" forms the basis of three underlying Heliophysics Science Goals. While Hinode relates to all three, the observatory primarily addresses: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and through the solar system. Within the NASA National Research Council (NRC) Decadal Survey Priorities, Hinode targets: (a) Determine the origins of the Sun's activity and predict the variations of the space environment and (d) Discover and characterize fundamental processes that occur both within the heliosphere and throughout the universe. In response to the 2012 NRC Decadal Survey Science Challenges and 2014 Heliophysics Roadmap Research Focus Areas, the Hinode mission has set forth four Prioritized Science Goals (PSGs): (a) Study the sources and evolution of highly energetic dynamic events; (b) Characterize cross-scale magnetic field topology and stability; (c) Trace mass and energy flow from the photosphere to the corona; and (d) Continue long term synoptic support to quantify cycle variability.

review↗
NASA NTRS2017

NASA's Electric Sail Propulsion System Investigations over the Past Three Years

Personnel from NASA's MSFC have been investigating the feasibility of an advanced propulsion system known as the Electric Sail for future scientific missions of exploration. This team initially won a NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) award and then a two year follow-on Phase II NIAC award. This paper documents the findings from this three year investigation. An Electric sail propulsion system is a propellant-less and extremely fast propulsion system that takes advantage of the ions that are present in the solar wind to provide very rapid transit speeds whether to deep space or to the inner solar system. Scientific spacecraft could arrive to Pluto in ~5 years, to the boundary of the solar system in ten to twelve years vs. thirty five plus years it took the Voyager spacecraft. The team's recent focused activities are: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from the experimental data collected at MSFC's Solar Wind Facility on the interaction between simulated solar wind interaction with a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) The development of the necessary tether deployers/tethers to enable successful deployment of multiple, multi km length bare tethers, 3) Determining the different missions that can be captured from this revolutionary propulsion system 4) Conceptual designs of spacecraft to reach various destinations whether to the edge of the solar system, or as Heliophysics sentinels around the sun, or to trips to examine a multitude of asteroids These above activities, once demonstrated analytically, will require a technology demonstration mission (~2021 to 2023) to demonstrate that all systems work together seamlessly before a Heliophysics Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) could be given the go-ahead. The proposed demonstration mission will require that a small spacecraft must first travel to cis-lunar space as the Electric Sail must be outside of Earth's Magnetic fields to produce thrust. The paper will outline what was done over the past three years from performing various plasma chamber tests to obtain data for the PIC model development, investigation of tether material trades, and conceptual designs of proposed spacecraft.

Wiegmann, Bruce M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Spacecraft Alignment Determination and Control for Dual Spacecraft Precision Formation Flying

Many proposed formation flying missions seek to advance the state of the art in spacecraft science imaging by utilizing precision dual spacecraft formation flying to enable a virtual space telescope. Using precision dual spacecraft alignment, very long focal lengths can be achieved by locating the optics on one spacecraft and the detector on the other. Proposed science missions include astrophysics concepts with spacecraft separations from 1000 km to 25,000 km, such as the Milli-Arc-Second Structure Imager (MASSIM) and the New Worlds Observer, and Heliophysics concepts for solar coronagraphs and X-ray imaging with smaller separations (50m-500m). All of these proposed missions require advances in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) for precision formation flying. In particular, very precise astrometric alignment control and estimation is required for precise inertial pointing of the virtual space telescope to enable science imaging orders of magnitude better than can be achieved with conventional single spacecraft instruments. This work develops design architectures, algorithms, and performance analysis of proposed GNC systems for precision dual spacecraft astrometric alignment. These systems employ a variety of GNC sensors and actuators, including laser-based alignment and ranging systems, optical imaging sensors (e.g. guide star telescope), inertial measurement units (IMU), as well as microthruster and precision stabilized platforms. A comprehensive GNC performance analysis is given for Heliophysics dual spacecraft PFF imaging mission concept.

Virtual Telescope↗
NASA NTRS2017

Spacecraft Alignment Determination and Control for Dual Spacecraft Precision Formation Flying

Many proposed formation flying missions seek to advance the state of the art in spacecraft science imaging by utilizing precision dual spacecraft formation flying to enable a virtual space telescope. Using precision dual spacecraft alignment, very long focal lengths can be achieved by locating the optics on one spacecraft and the detector on the other. Proposed science missions include astrophysics concepts with spacecraft separations from 1000 km to 25,000 km, such as the Milli-Arc-Second Structure Imager (MASSIM) and the New Worlds Observer, and Heliophysics concepts for solar coronagraphs and X-ray imaging with smaller separations (50m 500m). All of these proposed missions require advances in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) for precision formation flying. In particular, very precise astrometric alignment control and estimation is required for precise inertial pointing of the virtual space telescope to enable science imaging orders of magnitude better than can be achieved with conventional single spacecraft instruments. This work develops design architectures, algorithms, and performance analysis of proposed GNC systems for precision dual spacecraft astrometric alignment. These systems employ a variety of GNC sensors and actuators, including laser-based alignment and ranging systems, optical imaging sensors (e.g. guide star telescope), inertial measurement units (IMU), as well as micro-thruster and precision stabilized platforms. A comprehensive GNC performance analysis is given for Heliophysics dual spacecraft PFF imaging mission concept.

Formation flying↗
NASA NTRS2018

Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP): A New NASA Mission

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is a revolutionary mission that simultaneously investigates two of the most important overarching issues in Heliophysics today: the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium. While seemingly disparate, these are intimately coupled because particles accelerated in the inner heliosphere play critical roles in the outer heliospheric interaction. Selected by NASA in 2018, IMAP is planned to launch in 2024. The IMAP spacecraft is a simple sun-pointed spinner in orbit about the Sun-Earth L1 point. IMAP's ten instruments provide a complete and synergistic set of observations to simultaneously dissect the particle injection and acceleration processes at 1 AU while remotely probing the global heliospheric interaction and its response to particle populations generated by these processes. In situ at 1 AU, IMAP provides detailed observations of solar wind electrons and ions; suprathermal, pickup, and energetic ions; and the interplanetary magnetic field. For the outer heliosphere interaction, IMAP provides advanced global observations of the remote plasma and energetic ions over a broad energy range via energetic neutral atom imaging, and precise observations of interstellar neutral atoms penetrating the heliosphere. Complementary observations of interstellar dust and the ultraviolet glow of interstellar neutrals further deepen the physical understanding from IMAP. IMAP also continuously broadcasts vital real-time space weather observations. Finally, IMAP engages the broader Heliophysics community through a variety of innovative opportunities. This papersummarizes the IMAP mission at the start of Phase A development.

McComas, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Formation Flying and Position Determination for a Space-Based Interferometer in GEO Graveyard Orbit

Spacecraft formations enable a variety of mission concepts, from gravity reconstruction to extrasolar planet detection to heliophysics observatories. In particular, space-based radio interferometers can detect signals in frequency ranges that are absorbed by Earth’s ionosphere or atmosphere. Furthermore, such formation missions are now feasible under constrained cost caps due to the growing availability of SmallSat components with spaceflight heritage that are compatible the CubeSat formfactor. Accordingly, we analyze a mission concept operating multiple SmallSats in a passive cluster to establish a space-based interferometer. The goal of this array is to reconstruct radio emissions associated with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from the Sun, giving us insight into the particle acceleration occurring during these events. This low-cost mission concept presents a number of unique challenges in regards to mission design and navigation, particularly the configuration of the spacecraft to optimize science return and the reconstruction of precise spacecraft-spacecraft separation values. After providing a brief overview of the mission concept, this paper presents several key features of the mission design and orbit determination strategy that enable this potential heliophysics mission.

Filipe, Nuno↗
NASA NTRS2021

A Quarter Century of Wind Spacecraft Discoveries

The Wind spacecraft, launched on November 1, 1994, is a critical element in NASA’s Heliophysics System Observatory (HSO)—a fleet of spacecraft created to understand the dynamics of the Sun-Earth system. The combination of its longevity (>25 years in service), its diverse complement of instrumentation, and high resolution and accurate measurements has led to it becoming the “standard candle” of solar wind measurements. Wind has over 55 selectable public data products with over ∼1,100 total data variables (including OMNI data products) on SPDF/CDAWeb alone. These data have led to paradigm shifting results in studies of statistical solar wind trends, magnetic reconnection, large-scale solar wind structures, kinetic physics, electromagnetic turbulence, the Van Allen radiation belts, coronal mass ejection topology, interplanetary and interstellar dust, the lunar wake, solar radio bursts, solar energetic particles, and extreme astrophysical phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts. This review introduces the mission and instrument suites then discusses examples of the contributions by Wind to these scientific topics that emphasize its importance to both the fields of heliophysics and astrophysics.

Lynn B. Wilson III↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Hinode-IRIS HOP for Searching for Possible Solar Jet Sources for Switchbacks Observed in the Near-Sun Solar Wind by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP)

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) detects “switchback” magnetic structures in the near-Sun solar wind. A candidate for the source of these is solar coronal jets. Recent studies show that coronal jets are frequently made by eruptions of small-filament-carrying flux ropes, or mini filament flux-rope eruptions, that can inject a magnetic twist wave onto high-reaching ambient magnetic field(Sterling et al. 2015; Moore et al 2015).That is, many coronal jets evidently result from the eruption of a small-scale flux rope of twisted field that holds a mini filament of chromospheric-temperature plasma. The erupting flux rope reconnects with ambient far-reaching field, ejecting both reconnection-heated plasma and cool filament plasma (forming the multi-temperature jet spire), and transferring its twist onto the far-reaching field via a mechanism proposed by Shibata & Uchida(1986).If the far-reaching field opens into the heliosphere, it is plausible that the twist propagates out into the solar wind, possibly appearing as a switchback in the magnetic field in the solar wind (Sterling & Moore 2020).As part of the "Connecting Heliophysics Observatories and Models with PSP" (CHOMP)investigation led by Pete Riley and funded by NASA’s Heliophysics System Observatory Connect (HSOC) Program, we are currently We are currently running a joint Hinode-IRIS HOP, HOP 410, for coordinated observations of the Sun during times of PSP perihelia. An output from this study is a series of soft X-ray movies from Hinode/XRT. If PSP sees a strong switchback during any of its front-side or partly-front-side perihelia, we will examine the corresponding XRT movies to see whether exceptional jet activity occurred at the expected time and location of the potential source of the switchback on the Sun. This work is supported by the NASA HSOC and HGI programs, and by the MSFC Hinode project.

Alphonse C Sterling↗
NASA NTRS2022

COSMO: The COronal Solar Magnetism Observatory

The COronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO) will make the first synoptic, simultaneous measurements of magnetic and plasma properties of the global solar atmosphere, filling crucial gaps in our understanding of the drivers of solar eruptions and the evolution of the coronal magnetic field on time scales from minutes to decades. - COSMO uniquely addresses critical Heliophysics science. With an unparalleled combination of large field of view and high magnetic sensitivity, the 1.5m COSMO Large Coronagraph (LC) opens a new window on coronal magnetism on global scales. Along with K-Coronagraph (K-Cor) middle-corona observations and the Chromosphere and Prominence Magnetometer (ChroMag) observations of the photosphere and chromosphere, these capabilities enable researchers to finally answer crucial questions about solar eruptions, coronal heating/solar wind acceleration, and the solar dynamo. - COSMO is mature. K-Cor has been operating at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) since 2013 and ChroMag is soon to be deployed. Also at MLSO, the 20cm Upgraded Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (UCoMP) is proving the power of global coronal spectropolarimetry and whetting the community’s appetite for the unprecedented sensitivity of the LC. - COSMO is low risk. A recent development: the NSF-funded COSMO Site and Design Advancement (COSADA) is a three-year effort currently underway that reduces risk through site selection and final design of the LC. - COSMO has broad community support. The fact that COSMO fills a critical gap in our observational capabilities was recognized in the last Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey. COSMO builds on the legacy and thriving user base of the MLSO, which has provided global synoptic solar observations to the community for over sixty years. - COSMO is complementary to other solar telescopes. The breakthrough observations obtained by COSMO will not be provided by any other current or proposed observatory, and will enhance the value of other ground- and space-based Heliophysics assets.

Steven Tomczyk↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Why Developing A Full-Sun UV Spectrograph Sounding Rocket Is Difficult but Necessary

For a conference focused on a 20-year perspective of where we have been and where we are going, this talk will highlight specifically why we need a sounding rocket to lead the way in obtaining high-resolution UV spectroscopy of our sun-as-a-star. The currently available data is either sparse or at a much lower resolution when compared with Hubble (HST) spectra of other stars. Because of this, we cannot say with certainty if our Sun’s variability is typical. This limitation is hindering our quest to place our Sun in it’s rightful place on our star-charts. Ultraviolet light is a key component in determining this. Elements such as Hydrogen and Iron have strong emission lines here, and from them we can determine many things about the star from which they originate. The width of these spectral features can tell us about the relative plasma activity on the surface of the star, the abundance of those elements, and of course the temperatures. This has of course been done with many instruments that have very narrow field of views and/or narrow bandwidths. The only way to directly compare our Sun’s UV ”fingerprint” with other stars is to take an image of it in the same manner by which HST does: as a point source object. Our team’s aim has been to develop a sounding rocket capable of doing just that. Along the way, the many challenges we face are producing many solutions. A unique take on the traditional Rowland circle spectrograph will allow us to cover a large range of UV spectra with minimal moving parts. A novel in-situ gain calibration technique will be used in order to maintain the high level of radiometric accuracy desired. Naturally, complications arise when one takes UV measurements as you are flying out of earth’s atmosphere and back into it. Though it may be minor, the absorbed UV spectra from the atmosphere will have to be accounted for. In preparing for this, we have stumbled across a way in which those ”telluric” absorption lines may prove useful for spectral calibration purposes. In addition, raw data from previous sounding rocket missions may have hidden within them useful information for the atmospheric-physics community. In this talk, we will highlight the unique calibration problems and solutions we have faced, and how those are of greater importance to the greater heliophysics and atmospheric communities. With these amazing developments at hand, the future of heliophysics instrumentation is looking bright. This material is based upon work supported by the NSF EPSCoR RII-Track-1.2a (Non-invasive plasma diagnostics for LTP) Cooperative Agreement OIA-1655280. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

NASA, UAH, MSU, Sounding Rocket, Aeronomy, Instrum↗
NASA NTRS2022

The need for reference-able and peer reviewed position papers

Space Physics community members are putting substantial efforts and ideas into position papers, in preparation for the U.S. Heliophysics Decadal Survey process; an analysis of the current state of the field and where future research, mission programs, and funding should focus. Furthermore, Space Physics community members in Europe and the U.S. have recently put substantial efforts and ideas into position papers for Vision 2050 and Heliophysics 2050. There are also other ideas in the community about the needs and focus of future Space Physics research efforts, whether they were submitted to other road mapping activities, or have yet to find the appropriate home. With this in mind, we have created a Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences Research Topic ’The Future of Space Physics 2022’, to provide a format for a reference-able, peer reviewed, archived, accessible collection of these ideas from around the world. We wish to make these ideas available to the national academies decadal survey committees, the broader research community and a wider audience, by developing this collection. The collection will publish high-quality papers on key topics across the field of Space Physics, aiming to highlight recent advances in the field, whilst emphasizing important directions and new possibilities for future inquiries.

Alexa Jean Halford↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Miniaturized Electron Proton Telescope, MERiT onboard Lunar Gateway

The Lunar Gateway or the Gateway, part of NASA’s Artemis program, is a space station orbiting around the moon The cis-lunar Gateway platform provides the opportunity for Heliophysics investigations to advance our knowledge of the coupled Sun-Earth system and the opportunity better understand the radiation environment in order to support and improve crew safety and operations at the Moon and beyond. The Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES) is a suite of instruments place on the outside of the Habitation and Logistics Outpost ( HALO) monitor the Sun’s radiation environment and space weather. HERMES, led byNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will monitor lower energy solar particles critical to scientific investigations of the Sun including the solar winds. Additional suite of instruments provided by ESA, the European Radiation Sensors Array (ERSA) will complement space weather studies. We report here on the energetic particle instrument, the Minaturized Electron Proton Telescope (MERiT) on board HERMES designed to measure electrons and protons in the energy range ~0.3-9. MeV and ~1-190 MeV in 11 and 20 differential energy channels respectively. MERiT is a solid state detector telescope with the two sensor heads:one looking sunward and the other anti-sunward. MERiT will help advance our understanding of solar energetic particles, low energy cosmic rays and energetic electrons in the magnetospheric tail. We will describe the instrument in details and the science topics it is expected to address. Lunar Gateway is currently expected to launch in 2024

Shri Kanekal↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Functionality of the Python Packages for the HERMES Mission

The Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES) is a set of four instruments that will fly on the Lunar Gateway, an orbital outpost which will support Artemis lunar operations. HERMES will focus on understanding the causes of space-weather variability as driven by the Sun and modulated by the magnetosphere. In this talk, we will discuss the open source approach of the HERMES Science Operation Center (SOC) team being implemented in a number of Python packages which all work together. We will describe the core package which contains Python interfaces for the loading, calibrating, plotting, validating, and saving of measurement data through Common Data Format (CDF) files making use of pycdf provided by spacepy. Each instrument also has a Python package developed using a package template and will provide specific calibration and processing functionality to each instrument. The packages make extensive use of the scientific Python ecosystem and maintain compatibility with PyHC standards. The abstraction of intricate, high heritage data formats, such as CDF files, in Python enables easier analysis and opens doors for greater participation in heliophysics science.

hermes↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Requirements and Design of the Space Weather Science Operation Center

The Space Weather Science Operations Center (SWxSOC) is a NASA project to develop an open-source cloud-based multi-mission Science Operations Center for the community targeting space weather missions that require data products be released consistently and automatically. The first customer of this SOC is the Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES) that will fly on the Lunar Gateway. The HERMES instrumentation includes an ion mass spectrometer, an electron electrostatic analyzer, a proton and electron telescope for energetic particles, and a set of magnetometers. After a one year transit to the Moon, HERMES will begin a science campaign that addresses heliophysics and space-weather objectives. In this presentation, we will discuss the overall architecture and design of the SOC, the requirements it satisfies and the systems engineering approach used. We will also discuss plans for how to increase it’s capabilities to support new and different missions.

Steven Daniel Christe↗
NASA NTRS2024

Exploring Earth's Interface with Space: The Scientific Case for a Satellite Mission to the Lower Thermosphere-Ionosphere Transition Region

The ESA-NASA Lower Thermosphere-Ionosphere Science (ENLoTIS) Working Group was formed in May 2022 to cooperatively explore future lower thermosphere-ionosphere (LTI) satellite mission concepts, targeting very low altitudes (100-200 km) with in situ sampling of relevant geophysical parameters associated with the neutral atmosphere, the ionosphere’s plasma, electromagnetic fields, and energetic particles, which, together with modeling, would enable significant advancements in the understanding of neutral-ion interactions and other related science and space weather topics in this critical region of Geospace. The LTI region has been identified as one of considerable interest to both NASA and ESA. Most recently, the Daedalus mission study was carried out under the remit of ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes (EOP) Directorate competitive Earth Explorer 10 pre-feasibility (Phase 0) activities. Furthermore, many NASA studies have also focused on the LTI region, including both directed missions with dipping spacecraft, such as the initial TIMED dual-satellites and the GEC constellation, as well as numerous highly-rated Explorer proposals targeting the LTI. Although the Daedalus mission was not selected, the ESA Advisory Committee on Earth Observation (ACEO) ranked it highly on scientific grounds and encouraged further study activities to mature the concept, exploring potential international collaboration. Subsequent bilateral discussions with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) noted that such a concept was in alignment with the 2020 SMD science plan – Science 2020-2024: A Vision for Scientific Excellence – along with other complimentary activities within the NASA Heliophysics Division. Building on NASA’s and ESA’s long history of very successful collaborations, this mutual interest in LTI science led to the establishment of a new inter-agency and cross-discipline science connection, linking the ESA EOP Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department and the NASA Heliophysics Division. Initial exploratory discussions led to the formation of the ENLoTIS Working Group, which was directed to explore the science case behind a potential joint LTI mission. Members of the ENLoTIS Working Group are listed below, consisting of 7 scientists from ESA Member and Cooperating States and 7 scientists from the United States. The working group held 3 “in person” meetings over the course of 18 months, interspersed with regular virtual meetings on a more frequent basis. This report constitutes their chief findings and recommendations.

thermosphere↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lowering Barriers to Science and Space Weather Research at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC)

The Space Weather and Heliophysics research and modeling community has been pushing the limits of our ability to understand and predict space weather events. The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC, https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov) supports the community by providing a convenient collaborative platform hosting space weather models, model simulation data, curated datasets of solar events, and associated value-added services. Using these services, researchers and other end-users may exercise, evaluate, and intercompare contributed models, triage designated R2O models, as well as collaborate on a continuously updated archive of model run results. We will focus on CCMC’s ongoing commitment to the principles and guidelines of the Open Science initiative. Particularly, we will discuss our work towards making our services more transparent and our library of model simulations more accessible, open, and reproducible. We will introduce our recent tools for data discovery and correlative analysis designed to further increase the value of the user-generated data and metadata. We will also present our recent work on making heliophysical models more accessible and open to the community, particularly through simplified user experience and expert domain support. We will report on our progress in establishing an inter-center infrastructure with the ESA Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre (VSWMC), designed to cross organizational boundaries and provide streamlined access to a joint palette of the models.

space weather↗
NASA NTRS2025

Enhancing Nasa Sounding Rocket Capabilities Through Composite Material Adoption

Sounding rockets are a suborbital research platform employed by NASA for heliophysics, astrophysics, and geospace science investigations, and for technology development. They follow semi-parabolic trajectories and are launched using surplus military, and commercial, solid-propellant rocket motors. NASA sounding rocket payloads are comprised of standard, modular subassemblies, designed to perform specific functions critical to achieving mission success criteria. Since the program’s inception, payload length and mass have trended upwards, limiting the capability of the platform to reach exospheric apogees and decreasing the time above critical altitudes to observe solar and celestial targets. To offset this trend, composite materials may be of use in payload and subsystem design to decrease payload mass. This investigation seeks to understand if there is a practical benefit to introducing composite materials on the NSRP by assessing mission specific impacts to those missions conducted in fiscal year 2024. To accurately estimate the mass of a composites-based payload, a standard subsystem (NIACS) underwent structural reconfiguration. Materials were selected that align with NSRP design, manufacturing, and testing standards. NIACS reconfiguration resulted in a mass reduction of 19.6% which was then applied to the payload system in entirety. Using vehicle performance carpet plots, delta apogee and time above the Kármán line were determined. Performance improvements were then evaluated against that mission’s success criteria to determine if that mission would have benefitted from using composite materials. On average, each mission would have gained 59.8 kilometers apogee and 62.9 seconds above the Kármán line. However, only nine of the seventeen missions would have benefitted from these performance improvements. Two of the missions could have used a lower-impulse launch vehicle to achieve mission success. Upleg stability met programmatic criteria; downleg instability and dynamic pressure improved, showing that ballast would not offset the mass reduction of using composite materials. Cost analysis showed that production costs will increase 39%. For the two missions that could have used a lower-impulse launch vehicle, the cost of the launch vehicle would have offset payload production costs. In summary, composite materials are not recommended for universal use on NASA sounding rocket payloads due to unclear programmatic benefits and added cost. However, they are justified for optical astrophysics and heliophysics missions, high-apogee (exosphere) requirements, or when they reduce payload costs versus higher impulse launch vehicles. Reflown, recoverable subsystems should use composites to enhance apogee and observation time.

Robert Henry Burth↗