19 January 2018
The WISCER project uses shoebox-sized satellites known as CubeSats. Photo: Oxford Space Systems
In what’s being hailed as a world first, a new experiment to study the effects of space weather on global communications is being launched by the UK and US governments.
The Wideband Ionospheric Sounder CubeSat Experiment (WISCER) uses specially designed shoebox-sized satellites known as ‘CubeSats’.
These have been designed to help scientists study the Earth’s upper atmosphere and find out how it impacts radio frequencies through space.
The project is being coordinated in the UK by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Dstl is an executive agency sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, and aims to ensure that innovative science and technology contribute to the country’s defence and security.
Dr. Mike O’Callaghan, space programme manager at the agency, said: “We’re trying to find out how the ionosphere might affect us when we communicate. For example, are signals weaker during specific space weather conditions? It’s important to understand the effects and how it might impact our communications around the world, specifically with military operations.”
The WISCER project builds on work carried out by Dstl and the University of Birmingham, which was partly funded by the UK Space Agency. It forms part of a joint programme with the US Naval Research Laboratory.
Plans are now in place to launch two CubeSat satellites during 2020-21, each with a UK and a US payload.
The UK payload will contain a WISCER antenna and waveform generator that will transmit a signal to a bespoke ground signal receiver, assessing the impact of the ionosphere on the signal. The US payload will measure how electron density changes with altitude.
The collaboration is said to offer the opportunity to generate data cost effectively, with both countries potentially sharing results.
In the UK, Thales Alenia Space has been awarded a £1.5 million contract to build the WISCER payload and ground signal receiver.
The company’s CEO Ben Olivier says: “Working with key partners Oxford Space Systems and Teledyne Defence and Space, we will deliver a complete experiment package including mission system engineering.”
