CubeSpark: Space-based 3-D Lightning Mapping using a Constellation of Radio Frequency Sensors

CubeSpark is a new concept for a constellation of CubeSats that combines bi-spectral optical lightning imaging with radio frequency (RF) sensing to provide a 3-D lightning detection capability with global coverage from low-Earth Orbit. The development of CubeSpark is a collaboration between Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. CubeSpark innovates over current ground and space-based global lightning capabilities by determining the altitude of lightning radiation sources, enabling new science in thunderstorm processes and the impact of lightning on climate. The key to determining the altitude of lightning is using a constellation of RF sensors to make coordinated measurements of impulsive RF radiation sources, similar to the approach of a ground-based lightning mapping array. The RF measurements will be enhanced with bi-spectral optical sensors to improve overall lightning detection efficiency and provide additional, complementary information about lightning processes.

This presentation introduces the CubeSpark mission concept and science applications with a focus on the RF hardware under development. Two challenges of space-based RF lightning detection are ionospheric effects and RF noise from both the satellite bus and anthropogenic sources from Earth. While the process of removing ionospheric dispersion from broadband waveforms for time-of-arrival (TOA) estimation is well established, CubeSpark further reduces ionospheric impacts on TOA by using a circularly polarized antenna, which suppresses one of the birefringent wave modes. For noise reduction, the CubeSpark receiver leverages programmable high- and low-pass filters to allow for on-orbit modifications of its passband. A benchtop demonstration of the RF hardware has been completed.