Mission concept of CENSSAT-1, a CubeSat for multimodal monitoring of the space environment

It is well recognized that knowledge of the space environment is important to society through our reliance on satellites. Navigation and communication systems provided by satellites are vulnerable to solar storms. Electrical power grid networks may also be affected by space weather. The amount of space debris is rapidly growing, giving rise to challenges in spacecraft operations and space-based services. Tracking space debris and monitoring space weather events that may affect human infrastructure is therefore essential.

The Centre for Space Sensors and Systems (CENSSS) at the University of Oslo will address these challenges in space situational awareness by designing, developing, testing, and operating a CubeSat mission, CENSSAT-1, with collaborations from industry and university partners. The primary mission objectives are to monitor space weather in low Earth orbit and to study the response of the Earth’s upper and middle atmosphere to space weather events. 

The payload consists of a Langmuir probe for plasma measurements, a multifunctional particle detector, a space debris radar, and a camera to map aurora and airglow as well as ozone variability. The camera will record images in four spectral bands corresponding to atmospheric emission and absorption lines. The observation strategy of the instruments will enable simultaneous measurements of the space radiation environment in the orbit of the satellite, and facilitate the nowcasting of solar storms. The observation principle demonstrated on CENSSAT-1 could also be applied to other planetary missions, for example investigating auroral processes on Mars where forecasting the arrival of solar storms is more difficult.

There is currently a lack of data on small-sized space debris, as detection and tracking from the ground is difficult. While space debris of sub-millimeter size can be detected by in-orbit impact sensors, flux data for objects in the millimeter-size range is limited. The space radar on CENSSAT-1 will therefore aim to detect millimetre-sized space debris in the vicinity of its orbit. CENSSAT-1 will also explore the possibility of measuring neutron lifetime based on directional neutron flux observations, and conduct several optimal control and drag experiments.  The launch of CENSSAT-1 is currently estimated to be at the end of 2027.

In addition to tackling key issues in space safety, the CENSSAT-1 mission also serves to train and qualify personnel on MsC, PhD and postdoctoral levels, by providing hands-on experience in satellite mission design and operations. Thus, CENSSAT-1 will also fulfill the needs of the space industry and research institutions.