The Nanosatc-Br, Cubesat Development Program - A Joint Cubesat Program Developed by Ufsm and Inpe/McTic - Space Geophysics Mission Payloads and First Results

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The INPE-UFSM’s NANOSATC-BR, CubeSats Development Program started in 2008. Currently, the Program counts with two CubeSats: the NANOSATC-BR1 (1U) launched in 2014 and still in operation & the NANOSATC-BR2 (2U), under development, which is expected to be launched in the last quarter of 2019. In this article, the scientific and technological results of the NANOSATC-BR1 and the finalization of NANOSATC-BR2 are presented. Considering the Capacity Building, the major target of the Program, the paper emphasizes the involvement of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM undergraduate/graduate students in the conception, development and operation of NANOSATC-BR1, as well as the participation of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE graduate students in the onboard data handling (OBDH) software subsystem development, verification and validation for the NANOSATC-BR2. In addition, the collaborations of other Space Science, Engineering and Computer Science institutions involved in Brazil and abroad are discussed. The Program has received financial support from the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC). Keywords: cubesats, nanosatellites, capacity building. RESUMO. O programa NANOSATC-BR, Desenvolvimento de CubeSats, parceria INPE – UFSM, teve início em 2008. Atualmente, o Programa conta com dois CubeSats: o NANOSATC-BR1 (1U), lançado em 2014 e ainda em operação, e o NANOSATC-BR2 (2U), que está em desenvolvimento e tem expectativa de lançamento no último trimestre de 2019. Nesse artigo, a finalização do desenvolvimento do NANOSATC-BR2 e os resultados científicos e tecnológicos do NANOSATC-BR1 são apresentados. Considerando a Capacitação Profissional, o maior objetivo do Programa, o artigo dá ênfase ao envolvimento dos alunos de graduação na concepção, desenvolvimento e operação do NANOSATC-BR1, ao mesmo tempo em que enfatiza a participação dos alunos de pós-graduação do INPE no desenvolvimento, verificação e validação do Subsistema de Computador de Bordo para o NANOSATC-BR2. Além disso, colaborações de outras instituições de Ciência Espacial, Engenharia e Institutos de computação aplicada do Brasil e Exterior, são igualmente discutidas. O Programa recebeu suporte financeiro da Agência Espacial Brasileira (AEB) e do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações (MCTIC). Palavras-chave: cubesats, nanosatélites, formação de recursos humanos.

First Look at a Geomagnetic Storm With Santa Maria Digisonde Data: F Region Responses and Comparisons Over the American Sector

“…Therefore, more than ever, a robust understanding of the positive and negative ionospheric storms is important in the anomalously low geomagnetic field intensity region currently located in South America known as South American Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA; Abdu et al., 2005; Kurnosova et al., 1962). In addition to positive/negative phases observed in the electron density that may cause problems in satellites, the large high‐energy particles that penetrate in the ionosphere may cause problems in satellite sensors (Schuch et al., 2019). It was also reported that the operator who controls satellites in low‐Earth orbit may need to turn sensors off to reduce the detector saturation when passing through the SAMA (Jones et al., 2017).…”

Performance of the IRI-2016 at the Brazilian low-latitude ionosphere over the South America Magnetic Anomaly during solar minimum

“…During space weather conditions as defined by Denardini et al (2016), elevated flux levels of high energetic particles may precipitate in the ionosphere in regions of anomalously weak geomagnetic field strength such as the South America Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). Besides enhancing the ionization distribution and conductivities (Moro et al, 2013(Moro et al, , 2012, the energetic particles create high background counts which render satellite sensors unusable in this region (Schuch et al, 2019;Heirtzler, 2002).…”

Performance of the IRI-2016 over Santa Maria, a Brazilian low-latitude station located in the central region of the South American Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA)

“…The model describes monthly averages of the electron density, electron and ion temperature, total electron content (TEC), and ion composition as a function of height, location, and local time. Several major milestone editions of IRI have been released by the IRI Working Group since the 1970s in order to constantly revise the model to keep it as up to date and accurate as possible (Rawer et al, 1978a(Rawer et al, , b, 1981Bilitza, 1990Bilitza, , 2001Bilitza and Rawer, 1996;Bilitza and Reinisch, 2008;Bilitza et al, 2014Bilitza et al, , 2017. The latest version is known as IRI-2016 and has important improvements over the and 2007versions (IRI-2012and IRI-2007.…”

“…The term foF2 CCIR stands for the monthly average of the foF2 modeled by the CCIR sub-routine, while the term foF2 Observed is the monthly average of foF2 measured by the SMK29. Besides the comparison between the observed foF2 with CCIR, the sub-routine URSI (Rush et al, 1989) is also tested and, therefore, Eq. (1) is also used considering foF2 URSI instead of foF2 CCIR .…”