Ionospheric TEC Mapping through a 3U CubeSat Mission

ELECTRA - Electron Layer Exploration using CubeSat for TEC Research and Analysis – is a 3U CubeSat mission, under development at Politecnico di Torino, by the CubeSat student team in collaboration with the Systems and Technologies for Aerospace Research Laboratory (STAR lab) and the Navigation Signal Analysis and Simulation (NavSAS) research groups. The main scientific goal of the mission is to accurately analyze and map the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) in the LEO region of the ionosphere, i.e., the measure of the total number of free electrons present along the path (through the ionosphere) between the CubeSat GNSS antenna and a GNSS satellite. Differently from consolidated terrestrial sensing of the ionosphere, the availability of multi-frequency GNSS observables for a limited portion of this atmospheric layer is expected to contribute to the understanding of its physics. In fact, TEC variations can provide insights into space weather events, such as solar storms, that impact satellite communications and navigation systems. ELECTRA CubeSat will use dual-frequency GNSS signals to measure signal excess path delays and their variation throughout the orbit caused by ionospheric space weather events. In addition, understanding TEC fluctuations in the LEO region can help in improving space weather modeling and forecasting and lead to the development of mitigation strategies to protect satellite communications and navigation systems from space weather impacts. The delivery of TEC data marks an initial step towards establishing an autonomous, accurate ionospheric monitoring system using a constellation of small satellites at LEO, with the presented CubeSat serving as a pilot unit for a broader framework. The paper showcases how small satellites, particularly CubeSat, with post-processed ionospheric data, can enhance understanding of space weather effects on the ionosphere, specifically on how TEC fluctuations impact satellite systems at the LEO region, providing valuable insights for improving space weather forecasting. This information is indeed critical for refining ionosphere models, improving GNSS-based positioning systems, and enhancing strategies to mitigate disruptions in satellite communication during severe space weather events. Ground-based receivers can only map the ionosphere up to point F2 (bottom side). Therefore, the data on Earth could be compared with those in orbit below F2, together with an addition to the data measured only by CubeSat beyond F2, allowing for a multilayer mapping of the ionosphere. The scientific community has shown strong interest in the mission, particularly at the national level in Italy. The “National Institute of Geosysmic and Vulcanology” (INGV) is currently supporting the design and development of ELECTRA and plans to exploit its data to enhance ongoing research on ionospheric dynamics and space weather forecasting. By fostering collaboration between academia, research institutions, and space industry stakeholders, ELECTRA underscores the growing role of CubeSats in advancing scientific discovery and providing innovative solutions to global challenges in satellite-based communication and navigation.