SWIMSat: Space Weather and Meteor Impact Monitoring using a Low-Cost 6U CubeSat

Networks of spacecraft are necessary to characterize and constantly monitor near-Earth threats such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from the Sun, or impacts by large meteoroids. A network of CubeSat is ideally suited because of the low development cost and for demonstrating continuous monitoring of rare phenomena. In this paper, we describe the ongoing development of a single prototype spacecraft called SWIMSat (Space Weather and Impact Monitor Satellite) that has two goals: (1) monitor solar CMEs, and (2) monitor Earth meteor impacts. SWIMSat will be ideally located in geostationary orbit permitting continuous tracking and communication with ground. The advent of newly available, low-cost CubeSat and rad-tolerant technology for deep space makes it feasible to start now, within the scope of the University Nanosatellite Program, and achieve sizable gains towards the security of near-Earth space within a low cost budget. SWIMSat will utilize a suite of smart autonomous control software and radiation mitigation techniques to overcome the hostile environment beyond Low Earth Orbit and operate autonomously. We show that an even lower cost mission can achieve comparable meteor-monitoring objectives operating from low-Earth orbit, so we also describe that mission which we call MSat.