Cubesat Investigating Atmospheric Density Response to Extreme Driving (CADRE)

The “Cubesat-investigating Atmospheric Density Response to Extreme driving” (CADRE) project is the next space weather mission sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Earth’s ionosphere and thermosphere are driven in a variety of regions on multiple scales, and changes in the upper atmosphere can adversely affect our society’s increasingly critical space-based infrastructure. For example, satellite drag knowledge is crucial in predicting when possible collisions may occur between costly assets in low-Earth orbit. Successful forecasting of these space weather events will not be feasible until there is an improved understanding of how this complex system reacts to energy inputs. Through a coordinated science program whose main instrument is CADRE, a 3U Cubesat, we will address this need through detailed study of thermospheric properties. CADRE will be equipped Wind Ion Neutral Composition Suite (WINCS), which contains four electrostatic analyzers (two for ions and two for neutrals) and two mass spectrometers (one for ions and one for neutrals). This combination of instruments will measure the in-situ density, temperature and composition of the thermosphere. In addition, WINCS will measure the neutral winds and ion flows. CADRE is a precursor mission for a constellation of Cubesats that will provide regional and global assessment of thermospheric feature scales.