THE DEMONSTRATION AND SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS (DSX):A FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE RESEARCH MISSION ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIESTHAT ENABLE MEO SPACEFLIGHT

摘要

The Air Force Research Laboratory has developed theDemonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) toresearch technologies needed to significantly advancethe capability to operate spacecraft in the harsh radiationenvironment of medium-earth orbits (MEO). Theability to operate effectively in the MEO environmentsignificantly increases the capability to field spacesystems that provide persistent global targeting-gradespace surveillance, high-speed satellite-basedcommunication, lower-cost GPS navigation, andprotection from space weather. The DSX physics-basedresearch areas are:? Wave Particle Interaction: Researching the roleof natural and man-made very low-frequency(VLF) electromagnetic waves in driving thedynamics of the Earth's radiation belts;? Space Weather: Characterizing and modelingthe space radiation and plasma environment inMEO, an orbital regime attractive for futureDoD and commercial missions;? Space Environmental Effects: Researching andcharacterizing the space weather effects onspacecraft electronics and materials.