CubeSats swarm mission for Studying Escaping Radio waves (CSER)

Abstract

Radio waves are extensively used for wireless transmission of sound messages, information, communication as well as for aircraft and maritime navigation. Low and medium frequency signals are supposed to be reflected back from the bottom part of the ionosphere facilitating skywave for long distance communication. During the day the waves are bounced back by the Earth's ionosphere but during night some of the waves escape through the ionosphere, so the intended services are not available. Again, space weather events like solar storms can have crucial impact on ionosphere creating favorable conditions for escaping radio waves and thus making terrestrial services vulnerable. The proposed mission will be the first of its kind to detect and investigate radio signals at different frequency bands which are escaping the ionosphere. As for example, airplane uses high frequency (HF) radio communications over long distance oceanic and trans-polar routes. Besides very high frequency (VHF) communication systems are widely used for maintaining contact between ground and aircraft. Again, there are many AM and FM radio stations transmitting VHF signals day and night either for entertainment or community services. The received HF and VHF signals can be utilized not only for warning the corresponding service providers but also for sounding ionosphere by analyzing signal to noise ratio, amplitude and phases. Additionally, very low frequency (VLF) signals can be monitored. Escaped VLF signal may produce intense fluctuations of energetic electrons in the outer Van Allen radiation belt at which GNSS and geosynchronous satellites orbit. Thousands of flights crossing every day the Atlantic Ocean from North America to Europe and vice versa can benefit from improved radio communications thorough HF signal monitoring at LEO orbit height. By analyzing retrieved signal properties at a wide range of frequency bands we will have a unique opportunity of sounding ionosphere in an unprecedented way. The talk will summarize a preliminary study of a CubeSat swarm mission for Studying Escaping Radio waves.