|
1
|
Immel TJ, England SL, Mende SB, Heelis RA, Englert CR, Edelstein J, Frey HU, Korpela EJ, Taylor ER, Craig WW, Harris SE, Bester M, Bust GS, Crowley G, Forbes JM, Gérard JC, Harlander JM, Huba JD, Hubert B, Kamalabadi F, Makela JJ, Maute AI, Meier RR, Raftery C, Rochus P, Siegmund OHW, Stephan AW, Swenson GR, Frey S, Hysell DL, Saito A, Rider KA, Sirk MM. The Ionospheric Connection Explorer Mission: Mission Goals and Design. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2017; 214:13. [PMID: 33758433 PMCID: PMC7983873 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-017-0449-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, is a new NASA Explorer mission that will explore the boundary between Earth and space to understand the physical connection between our world and our space environment. This connection is made in the ionosphere, which has long been known to exhibit variability associated with the sun and solar wind. However, it has been recognized in the 21st century that equally significant changes in ionospheric conditions are apparently associated with energy and momentum propagating upward from our own atmosphere. ICON's goal is to weigh the competing impacts of these two drivers as they influence our space environment. Here we describe the specific science objectives that address this goal, as well as the means by which they will be achieved. The instruments selected, the overall performance requirements of the science payload and the operational requirements are also described. ICON's development began in 2013 and the mission is on track for launch in 2017. ICON is developed and managed by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, with key contributions from several partner institutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T J Immel
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - S L England
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - S B Mende
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - R A Heelis
- University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, USA
| | - C R Englert
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - H U Frey
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | | | - W W Craig
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - M Bester
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - G S Bust
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | | | - J M Forbes
- University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | - J D Huba
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - B Hubert
- University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - J J Makela
- University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, USA
| | - A I Maute
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - R R Meier
- George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - C Raftery
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
- National Solar Observatory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - P Rochus
- University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - A W Stephan
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
| | - G R Swenson
- University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, USA
| | - S Frey
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - A Saito
- Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - K A Rider
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - M M Sirk
- University of California, Berkeley, USA
| |
Collapse
|