Measurement of cosmic radiation in LEO by 1U CubeSat

Abstract

CubeSats are inexpensive tools for studying cosmic radiation. The paper presents an architecture and measurement of Lucky 7 1U CubeSat, which was launched to the quasi-synchronous polar orbit with an altitude of 520 km on June 27, 2019. The satellite is equipped with a scintillator detector whose luminescence emission is measured by a PIN diode and a space GPS receiver that labels the radiation measurement with a precise time and position. The cosmic radiation data were collected since summer 2019. The obtained measurement results are in good conformity with model calculations of the fluxes of the radiation components in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). During the performed pilot experiment, the objectives are to test a simple and inexpensive system providing input data for numerical models together with precise time and position data; and measure count rate data, which are compared with the models.