Introduction to NASA Living With a Star Institute Special Section on Low Earth Orbit Satellite Drag: Science and Operational Impact

Zhang, Yongliang; Paxton, L. J.; Jones, James C. Peyton

doi:10.1029/2018sw001983

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Among these processes, intense, CME‐driven geomagnetic storms lead to the largest neutral density increase. It is also identified that errors in the thermosphere density specification are the dominant source in uncertainty of LEO satellite conjunction (Zhang et al., 2018 and the references therein). Accurate measurement of neutral density profiles and their variations becomes critical for LEO position nowcast and forecast capability development as the LEO space becomes more crowded and the demands for precise position information grow.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermospheric Conditions Associated With the Loss of 40 Starlink Satellites

et al. 2022

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We analyzed far ultraviolet data from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)/Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager (SSUSI) and Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED)/Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) and found significant changes in the thermospheric density and composition during the 3–5 February 2022 storm when 40 Starlink satellites started to re‐enter the atmosphere associated with increased neutral drag at an altitude around 210 km. The standard NRLMSISE‐00 model predicts only ∼5% increase in neutral density at 210 km. TIMED/GUVI observations showed a clear increase in the thermospheric N2/O column density ratio and an increase in the nitric oxide (NO) column density, indicating high thermospheric density, and temperature. DMSP SSUSI 130.4 nm limb data showed a clear increase in neutral density in the low latitude region (−30°–30°). On the duskside (17:32 LT), the density increase (compared to the pre‐storm density) is around 11%–18% at 210 km and around 18%–26% at 520 km. On the dawn‐side (05:19 LT), the density increase is more significant, 40%–59% at 210 km and ∼300% at 520 km. There are a few reasons for the dawn‐dusk asymmetry in the relative density increase: (a) the pre‐storm background density or heat capacity is lower on the dawn‐side than that on the duskside, (b) stronger auroral heating was observed on the dawnside based on analysis of auroral images, (c) the thermosphere density enhancement partially recovered when the disturbance co‐rotated with the Earth from dawn to dusk side due to enhanced infrared cooling by NO. Note that the neutral density increase is expected to be much higher at high latitudes where the neutral disturbances are initiated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermospheric Conditions Associated With the Loss of 40 Starlink Satellites

et al. 2022

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“…These features serve to illustrate the wide range of local processes that influence the neutral density (Emmert, 2015;Liu et al, 2017). These large-scale structures in the ionosphere and thermosphere have significant impacts on satellite drag (e.g., Zhang et al, 2018) and on radio scintillation. Many have been studied in detail, such as field-aligned ion drag (Maruyama et al, 2003;Miyoshi et al, 2011), chemical heating by charge exchange (Fuller-Rowell et al, 1997), and heat transport due to the background wind (Hedin & Mayr, 1973) and tidal propagation (Miyoshi et al, 2011).…”

Section: Neutral Density Variations By Large-scale Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges to Understanding the Earth's Ionosphere and Thermosphere

Heelis¹,

Maute

2020

JGR Space Physics

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We discuss, in a limited way, some of the challenges to advancing our understanding and description of the coupled plasma and neutral gas that make up the ionosphere and thermosphere (I‐T). The I‐T is strongly influenced by wave motions of the neutral atmosphere from the lower atmosphere and is coupled to the magnetosphere, which supplies energetic particle precipitation and field‐aligned currents at high latitudes. The resulting plasma dynamics are associated with currents generated by solar heating and upward propagating waves, by heating from energetic particles and electromagnetic energy from the magnetosphere and by the closure of the field‐aligned currents applied at high latitudes. These three contributors to the current are functions of position, magnetic activity, and other variables that must be unraveled to understand how the I‐T responds to coupling from the surrounding regions of geospace. We have captured the challenges to this understanding in four major themes associated with coupling to the lower atmosphere, the generation and flow of currents within the I‐T region, the coupling to the magnetosphere, and the response of the I‐T region reflected in the neutral and plasma density changes. Addressing these challenges requires advances in observing the neutral density, composition, and velocity and simultaneous observations of the plasma density and motions as well as the particles and field‐aligned current describing the magnetospheric energy inputs. Additionally, our modeling capability must advance to include better descriptions of the processes affecting the I‐T region and incorporate coupling to below and above at smaller spatial and temporal scales.

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“…Errors in the estimation of density cause orbit prediction error, which impact satellite operations, including accurate catalog maintenance, collision avoidance for manned and unmanned space flight, and re‐entry prediction (Qian & Solomon, ). These effects were also highlighted in a recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration Living With a Star Institute special section on low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite drag: Science and operational impact, which reported that errors in the thermosphere density specification are the dominant source in uncertainty of LEO drag estimation and satellite conjunction (Zhang et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

The International Community Coordinated Modeling Center Space Weather Modeling Capabilities Assessment: Overview of Ionosphere/Thermosphere Activities

et al. 2019

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The Earth's ionosphere/thermosphere (I/T) system exhibits complicated weather variability that can have adverse effects on human operations and systems, and consequently, there is a need for both accurate and reliable specifications and forecasts for this region. As part of the international effort to evaluate and assess the predictive capabilities of space weather models, four working groups for the I/T system have been created with the goal to devise a concerted model validation effort for the I/T environment. This paper presents an overview of the team efforts and reports on the progress made. As a first step, the working teams have selected to limit the validation efforts to critical I/T parameters that include total electron content, the peak density and height of the ionospheric F region, ionospheric scintillations, and thermospheric neutral densities. As part of this effort, initial lists of participating models and events have been constructed and validation data sets have been identified. In the future appropriate metrics will be selected for the various user and scientific needs.Plain Language Summary The Earth's upper atmosphere exhibits weather variability that can have adverse effects on human operations and systems, and consequently, there is a need for both accurate and reliable weather forecasts for this region. The effects of this variability on technological systems can be divided into two general categories. The first category relates to radio wave signals that are subject to propagation effects as they travel through the upper atmosphere and the second effect is related to atmospheric drag, which changes the orbits of satellites. Recently, an international effort to evaluate and assess the predictive capabilities of weather models for the upper atmosphere was formed. An overview of this effort and initial results is described.

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Introduction to NASA Living With a Star Institute Special Section on Low Earth Orbit Satellite Drag: Science and Operational Impact

Cited by 10 publications

References 16 publications

Thermospheric Conditions Associated With the Loss of 40 Starlink Satellites

Thermospheric Conditions Associated With the Loss of 40 Starlink Satellites

Challenges to Understanding the Earth's Ionosphere and Thermosphere

The International Community Coordinated Modeling Center Space Weather Modeling Capabilities Assessment: Overview of Ionosphere/Thermosphere Activities

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