88th Annual Meeting (20-24 January 2008)

Monday, 21 January 2008: 4:00 PM
Micro-satellites for space weather research: plans for a NSF program
221 (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
Therese Moretto Jorgensen, NSF, Arlington, VA; and R. M. Robinson and R. A. Behnke
Lack of essential observations from space is a major limiting factor currently in space weather research. Recent advances in sensor and spacecraft technologies make it feasible to obtain key measurements from low-cost, small satellite missions. A particularly promising aspect of this development is the prospect for obtaining multi-point observations in space that are critical for addressing many unresolved problems in space science. At the same time, small satellite missions provide essential opportunities to train the next generation of experimental space scientists and aerospace engineers. This is the motivation for the Atmospheric Sciences Division at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a new program to conduct small scientific satellite missions in support of space weather research and education. The presentation will describe the background, plans, and current status for this program.

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