Abstract
The F10.7 solar flux index is a measure of microwave solar emissions at a wavelength of 10.7 cm or 2800 MHz. It is widely used in thermosphere and ionosphere models as an indicator of solar activity and is recorded at only one terrestrial observatory in Penticton, Canada during daylight hours. The lack of geographical and temporal coverage of F10.7 measurements and no external redundancy to the existing system has led to the development of the RMCSat mission, which seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of collecting microwave solar flux emissions from a space-based platform. RMCSat is the first CubeSat mission by the Royal Military College of Canada. It offers a training environment for personnel in space mission analysis and design, satellite assembly, integration and testing, and satellite operations. This paper introduces the mission concept and preliminary design of a space-based solution that captures solar density flux measurements during each orbit as the Sun passes through the boresight of the primary payload antenna. In addition to two channels recording the 2800 MHz frequency (2785 MHz and 2815 MHz), a third channel records 2695 MHz using the same calibration standard to determine if the United States Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) could be leveraged to supplement the existing F10.7 solar flux measurements and improve solar flux approximations. The RMCSat mission, satellite design, and system budgets are demonstrated here as being viable. Future design considerations pertain to the payload antennas and achievable launch orbits.
Highlights
If persistent mission-disabling interference is experienced by RMCSat within the sampled bandwidths, the use of an software-defined radio (SDR) payload, reconfigurable from the ground, allows satellite operational channels to be adjusted in response, separating sampling frequencies from the sources of disruptive radio-frequency interference (RFI)
Solar density flux measurements are captured by RMCSat during each orbit as the Sun passes into the boresight angle of the primary payload antenna
RMCSat is a 3U CubeSat mission designed to assess the feasibility of obtaining spacebased F10.7 solar flux measurements from LEO
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. F10.7 solar radio flux measurement, along with its repeatable calibration of the F10.7 solar radio flux measurement, along with continuous its continuhistorical record, has has maintained its its standing as as one ofofthe space ous historical record, maintained standing one themost mostwidely widely used used space weather weather indices indices [1,10,11]. It is is aa key key input input parameter parameter to to atmospheric atmospheric models models and and provides provides climatology of solar activity over six solar cycles [6,8,12].
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