The HelioSwarm Mission is investigating space plasma turbulence using simultaneous, multiscale observations from multiple spacecraft. HelioSwarm utilizes advances in swarm technology to enable the science. A larger central Hub spacecraft is co-orbited by eight SmallSat Node spacecraft, together moving through a High Earth Orbit to obtain data in various solar wind regimes.
The mission architecture is that of hub-and-spoke, with the central Hub serving as a communications relay between the Nodes and the ground. Mission operations, management, and technical oversight are provided by NASA Ames Research Center, and the spacecraft are provided by Northrop Grumman and Blue Canyon Technologies.
The instrument suite includes internationally-contributed instruments and U.S. one, all under the oversight of University of New Hampshire (which is also the Principal Investigator’s home institution and Science Operations Center). The mission architecture is presented along with a summarized concept of operations. Finally, an exploration of the pathfinding nature of HelioSwarm and some implications for future large scientific swarms is offered.
To attend the Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference, 23-24 October 2023 at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Perth WA visit:
https://spaceandearthconference.com/
Further Mission Information
https://eos.unh.edu/helioswarm/mission
