The ISS as a Launch Platform for Phenomena of Interest

The lower ionosphere/thermosphere (150 to 350 km) is the boundary between the sensible atmosphere of the Earth and space. This region receives energy and momentum from both the sun (ultra-violet light and electromagnetic energy coupled via the earth’s magnetosphere) and the lower atmosphere (turbulent waves). These processes act as system drivers and feedback elements, but are still poorly understood, making the weather in this region unpredictable. Few observations of these processes and their coupling are available and no validation of the predicted fundamental neutral or plasma processes has been accomplished. Although almost immeasurable themselves, these atmospheric changes have very measurable consequences to Earth’s inhabitants. The need to make long-term measurements is crucial, but is frustrated by factors such as cost, short orbit lifetimes, and infrequent launch opportunities. The International Space Station (ISS), orbiting just above this “inaccessible region”, is an ideal platform from which CubeSats can be deployed to study the region below. To prove the feasibility of such missions, students and engineers from Utah State University and the Space Dynamics Laboratory developed a conceptual design for an ISS CubeSat ejection system. Known as ICES, this responsive platform is capable of deploying multiple CubeSats to support missions studying the ionosphere/thermosphere region.