Dstl has teamed up with the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to develop a space weather sensing suite.
Dstl has developed a miniature space weather sensing suite alongside the NRL to enhance measurement and modelling methods. The Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction Cubesat Experiment (CIRCE) comprises two 6U cube-satellites that will be launched into a near-polar low earth orbit (500km altitude) this year.
Each 6U satellite bus, measures 10cm x 20cm x 30cm, and will fly almost identical instrument capability on both satellites. CIRCE will characterise a region of the Space environment, the ionosphere, which is important for a range of defence and civil applications and can impact GPS, communications and sensing technology.
Director of Defence Science and Technology, Dr Nick Joad, said: “The CIRCE mission is great example of UK/US collaboration in Space. The concept to develop UK Space weather diagnostic capability supports our strategic relationship with the USA, and Dstl has recently delivered two flight models – totalling six miniaturised UK payloads – in just one year.”
“Our UK partners from academia and industry are recognised world-leaders in the field of Space weather research, enabling us to rapidly design, build, and successfully test these tiny payloads.”
Dstl: Official sponsor of DPRTE 2020.
The UK contribution to CIRCE is the Insitu and Remote Ionospheric Sensing (IRIS) suite, complementary to NRL sensors and comprising three highly miniaturised payloads developed for Dstl by University College London (UCL), University of Bath, and University of Surrey/Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). CIRCE will characterise a region of the Space environment, the ionosphere, which is important for a range of defence and civil applications and can impact GPS, communications and sensing technology.
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