Abdu

Bishop, Rebecca

Dinardini, Clezio

Durao, Otavio

Fonseca, Eloi

Heelis, Rod

Krause, Linda

Le, Guan

Loures, Luis

Spann, James F.

Swenson, Charles

NASA Technical Reports Server

The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) Mission
James F. Spann (NASA/MSFC), Charles Swenson (USU), Otavio Durão (INPE), Luis Loures (ITA), Rod Heelis (UTD), Rebecca Bishop (Aerospace), Guan Le (NASA/GSFC), Abdu (INPE), Linda Krause (NASA/MSFC), Clezio Dinardini (INPE), Eloi Fonseca (ITA)
Science
The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) mission tackles the very difcult problem 
of understanding the conditions under which ionospheric variability develops that leads to scintillation that 
compromises transmission signals. SPORT seeks to answer two science questions:
 
Science Traceability Matrix
The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT)  Instrumentation Spacecraft
Observational Approach Science Measurement Requirements Instrument Approach Space Systems Requirements
1.  What is the state of the ionosphere that gives rise to the growth of plasma irregularities that extend into and above the F-peak?
Observations in the 17:00 to 1:00 LY sector Plasma Density Prole GPS Occulation Satellite Orbit
over –30° to 30° latitude 1. 140 to 450 km alt Observe GPS satellite occultation 1. ≥1 year mission life
 2. 104 to 107 p/cm3 range along and to the sides of the orbit 2. 40° to 55° inclination
Height proles of the plasma density to specify 3. 20% p/cm3 accuracy plane to obtain line of site TEC 3. 350 to 450 km altitude
the magnitude and height of the F peak density 4. 1000 km along track sampling  4. ±10 km eccentricity
in the EA Ion Drifts (EarthReference Frame) Ion Velocity Meter Spacecraft
 1. ±800 m/s Range Observe vertical ion drifts by angle 1. ±15° yer mission life
Vertical ion drifts at or beow the F peak in the 2. 20 m/s precision & accuracy of arrival of heavy ions at detector 2. ≤1 km position knowldge
EA 3. 10 km along track sampling  3. ≤10 ms timeing
2.  How do plasma irregularities evolve to impact the appearance of radio scintillation at different frequencies?
Observations in the 22:00 to 2:00 LT sector over E-Field (Earth Reference Frame) E-Field Double Probe Spacecraft Mechanisms
over –30° to 30° latitude 1. ±45 mV/m range Observe probe oating potential  1. ≥0.6 m tip-to-tip booms
 2. 1.1 mV/m precision & accuracy for AC E-elds from irregularity  Attitude (Post Flight Knowledge)
Observations of irregularities in electron density 3. 1 km along track sampling GPS Occultation 1. ≤0.02° 1σ-uncertainty
and E-eld power spectral density in slope  4. 10 km – 200 m along track waves S4 scintillation index  
from 200 km to 200 m Plasma Density Langmuir/Impedance 
 1. 103 to 107 p/cm3 range Observe DC and AC probe response  
 2. 103 p/cm3 precision & accuracy for relative and absolute electron  
 3. 1 km along track sampling density and observe irregularities
 4. 10 km – 200 m along track waves Three Axis Magnetometer
 B-eld Support VxB computation for ion  
 1. ± 56,000 nT range velocity and E-Field measurements 
 2. ±100 nT precision and accuracy 
 3. 1 km along track sampling
Table 1. Expected Instrument Performance and Requirements
 Parameter Ion Velocity Meter GPS Occultation Electric Field Probe Langmuir Probe Impedance Probe Magnetometer
 Scientic  Vi: ±800 m/s, 20 m/s Ne-Prole: 10
4 to 107  cm-3  0.1 to ±45 mV/m ∆Ne: 10
3 to 107  cm-3 Ne: 10
3 to 107  cm-3 ± 56,000 nT, 100 nT
 Requirement ∆Ni: 104 to 107  cm-3 S4 0.2 to 1.2  ∆Ni: 10
3 to 107  cm-3  
 Instrument   Vi: ±1000 m/s, 15 m/s Scintillations  (S4)  0.1 to 500 mV/m, 1% ∆Ne: 10 to 10
7  cm-3, 5% Ne: 10 to 10
7  cm-3, 1% ± 64,000 nT, 10 nT
 Performance ∆Ni: 10
2 to 107  cm-3, 5% Slant TEC: 3 to 200 units Vi (derived): 20 m/s ∆Ni: 10
3 to 109  cm-3, 5% 
  Ti: 250 to 5000 K  Ne-Prole: 10
3 to 107 cm-3  Te: 200 to 5000 K
  Ci : 0–100%, 1–40 amu S4 0.1 to 1.5  Vf : ±10 mV to  ± 12 V
   σ: 0.1 to 20 rads  Vp: ±10 mV to  ± 12 V   
  DC to 2 Hz 50 Hz  DC-40 Hz DC-40 Hz, 25 s/sweep DC-40 Hz, 25 s/sweep DC-40 Hz
     16 spectrometer ch. 16 spectrometer ch.
    20 Hz to 15 kHz 20 Hz to 15 kHz   
 Mechanism 8 cm aperture 7.6 x 7.6 x 0.5 cm patch antenna Two 30 cm booms  0.3 x 30 cm boom  30 cm boom  25 cm boom
 Attitude Control 15° pointing control 15° pointing control 15° pointing control 15° pointing control 15° pointing control  NA
 Attitude knowledge  0.02° 2°  0.02°  10°  10°  2° pointing 
 post processed req.
 Field of View 30° 160° 180° 180° 180°  180°
 Peak Power 0.3 W 1.5 W 0.15 W 0.15 W 0.4 W  0.45 W
 Volume 1.0U Cube ~0.15U Cube ~0.1U Cube ~0.1U Cube ~0.1U Cube ~0.5U Cube
    (Shared with LP) (Shared with E-Field) 
  9 × 9 × 10 cm 1.5 × 9 × 9 cm 0.75 × 9 × 9 cm 0.75 × 9 × 9 cm 0.75 × 9 × 9 cm 5 × 9 × 9 cm
 Mass < 1000 g < 200 g < 80 g (shared) < 80g (shared) < 160 g  < 150 g
 Data Rate 2.0 kbps 1.0 kbps Day;  1.4 kbps 2.0 kbps 1 kbps  2.8 kbps
   15 kbps Night 
 Horizontal Cell Size 100 km 500 km 200 m; 20 m spectrometer 200 m; 20 m spectrometer 190 km  10 km
 Vertical Cell Size NA 30 km NA NA NA  NA
   Vi – ion drift velocities; ∆Ni – relative ion density; ∆Ne – relative electron density; Te – electron temperature; Ti – ion temperature ; Vf – oating potential ; Vp – plasma potential ; Ne- electron density; 
   B – Magnetic Field ;  TEC – total electron content; Ci – Ion composition; DC – 1D DC Electric Field; S4 – RF signal amplitude index, σ – RF signal phase index 
• What is the state of the ionosphere that gives rise to the growth of plasma irregularities 
that extend into and above the F-peak?
• How do plasma irregularities evolve to impact the appearance of radio scintillation at 
different frequencies?
SPORT is science mission on a CubeSat 
that will advance understanding and  
improve predictions of scintillatio 
occurance that impact GPS signals and 
radio communications. This is science of 
Space Weather. 
SPORT is an international partnership with 
NASA, the Brazilian space agency research 
center (INPE), and the Technical 
Aeronautics Institute under the Brazilian Air 
Force Command Department (DCTA/ITA).
180°
70°N
70°S
60°N
60°S
45°N
45°S
30°N
30°S
15°N
15°S
0°
135°W 90°W 45°W 0° 45°E 90°E 135°E 180°
Depletions
UV Airglow images from TIMED GUVI clearly showing the equatorial anomaly with embedded depletions that have penetrated 
through the F peak. Green, Red and Blue traces show the magnetic equator and positive and negative dip angles. SPORT 52° 
inclination ground tracks are superimposed as black traces. 
Total plasma density measurements from the ISS showing signatures across 
the equatorial anomaly near local midnight. The top panel shows no 
ionospheric irregularities while the bottom panel shows the presence of 
depletions and irregularities. 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20150023558 2019-08-31T04:39:47+00:00Z


The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) Mission

The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) Mission

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