A new mission will use a cutting-edge scientific technique to provide a fuller understanding of the Sun-Earth connection, adding to our scientific knowledge and helping us better understand the impacts of space weather.
The SMILE mission will deliver global 3D imaging of the Earth’s magnetosphere for the first time and investigate its dynamic response to the impact of solar wind.
SMILE is expected to answer three questions:
- What are the fundamental modes of the dayside solar wind/magnetosphere interaction?
- What defines the substorm cycle?
- How do Coronal Mass Ejection-driven storms arise, and what is their relationship to substorms?
The impacts of extreme space weather on modern technology
Extreme space weather could disrupt modern technology by causing geomagnetic storms affecting satellite navigation, shortwave communications, and power grids.
A recent ESA study estimated that the potential socioeconomic impact in Europe from a single extreme space weather event could reach €15bn. Much of this disruption could be avoided through accurate forecasting.
The relationship between Earth’s magnetosphere and solar wind
The Earth’s magnetosphere is the strongest of all the rocky planets in our Solar System and is thought to have played an important role in the Earth’s habitability.
Scientists believe that a key reason Mars lost most of its atmosphere and surface water was the loss of its magnetosphere.
In order to answer these questions, SMILE will provide scientists with data and information on the location and shape of Earth’s outer magnetospheric boundaries (i.e., the magnetopause, the bow shock, and the magnetospheric cusps) and of the auroras, and how solar wind behaves next to these.
The UK’s leading role in the SMILE mission
Leadership of the overall mission science and the SXI instrument enables the UK teams to shape SMILE’s scientific data in line with their requirements and areas of expertise.
In-depth instrument knowledge will mean that the UK research base is well placed to understand and exploit the data in the post-launch research and discovery phase.
Teledyne e2v, based in Chelmsford, are supplying the SXI CCD detector devices under an approx. £1.5 million contract to ESA.
Joint academic-industry knowledge exchange with the Open University on the CCD development programme will improve space radiation hardiness of the devices, maintaining this key UK technology for commercial sales and export opportunities.
UK company Photek Ltd has also been contracted to assemble the camera for the UVI instrument.
Areas in which the UK is world-leading – planetary science (Earth and beyond), solar physics, space plasma and astrophysics – are all served by the science explored by SMILE.
The UK SMILE team has already carried out preliminary work with the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre to support their work with SMILE data.
