Nichols Martin
Aerospace has received a $2.85 million NASA grant to study the gradual changes occurring in the atmosphere and ionosphere of earth.
The research effort will make use of six CubeSat units that will compose the Daily Atmospheric Ionospheric Limb Imager, the company said Thursday.
DAILI will be built to provide atmospheric data needed for orbital calculations and studies on radio signal propagation.
The technology was based on the Remote Atmosphere/Ionosphere Detection Sensor used in International Space Station missions.
The mission will occur for one year in 2020, and will monitor the atmosphere at a range between 140 to 290 kilometers, wherein density and composition vary in value.
Data resulting from DAILI’s operation will be used to support NASA’s ICON and GOLD satellite missions set to begin in 2018.
