The integrated Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer‐Reflight (iMESA‐R) is a space weather instrument designed to measure plasma density, temperature, and spacecraft charging, along with total ionizing dose and dose rate. A constellation consisting of five nearly identical instruments has been designed and developed to act as science payloads hosted on‐board Department of Defense satellites operating in low‐Earth orbit. To validate the dosimetry component of the iMESA‐R, a radiation test study was performed to calibrate the dosimeter and ascertain the attenuation due to the instrument aluminum housing. An 80 curie Cobalt‐60 radioisotope source emitting beta, X‐ray, and gamma ray radiation decay products was used to calibrate the dosimeter response as a function of distance and instrument shielding. We present results of the calibration study along with initial on‐orbit data presented from the first operational iMESA‐R hosted on‐board Space Test Program Satellite 5 in a polar Earth orbit. The initial on‐orbit data demonstrate the ability to map the radiation environment, particularly the South Atlantic Anomaly and the auroral regions using total ionizing dose rate due to electrons of E > 1.5 MeV and protons of E > 25 MeV.
The Falcon Solid-state Energetic Electron Detector (FalconSEED) is an energetic charged particle sensor that has been developed and tested at the United States Air Force Academy in an effort to monitor electron flux across the energy range of 14 to 145 keV in geosynchronous orbit. This sensor has been developed to complement ongoing efforts by the Air Force Research Laboratory to advance a comprehensive space environment sensor suite, Compact Environmental Anomaly Sensor (CEASE3), for anomaly resolution. In addition, FalconSEED is intended to demonstrate the ability to operate a radiation sensor based on predominantly commercial off the shelf components in the geosynchronous environment. This paper describes the design, development, and calibration of FalconSEED. The electron energy spectrum of interest for the FalconSEED sensor is 14 to 145 keV, and is intended to supplement data acquired from the CEASE3 instrument for anomaly resolution. The calibrations at the Space Atmospheric Research Center at the United States Air Force Academy and Kirtland Air Force Base were used to first establish the conversion between histogram bin number and deposited energy in the sensor, and second have been used to determine the geometric factor as a function of energy. The FalconSEED will be integrated as a science payload on the Space Test Program Satellite-6 which also includes the first flight of the CEASE3 instrument and is scheduled to launch in 2021.
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