Abstract The Astro Pi sensor onboard the International Space Station (ISS) provides, among others, magnetic field information with a resolution of some 300 nT. Starting from an experiment proposed to ESA by a high school team and subsequent ISS observations under the Astro Pi Challenge Mission Space Lab, the paper demonstrates the good agreement of these observations with a geomagnetic field model and explores the potential for using the Astro Pi as magnetic field surveyor. Since ISS is not tuned for magnetic field observations and is not magnetically clean, a difficulty along this line is to extract from the observed data the magnetic field contributed by ISS, accomplished here by an optimization procedure. For now, the accuracy of the results is limited mainly by the Astro Pi sensor performance, whose resolution compares rather well to the third harmonic terms of the magnetic field model, and by the lack of attitude information. In principle, this can be improved by a better sensor (or sensors) of known orientation and by more sophisticated data processing algorithms. Magnetic field data from satellites that are not targeted to magnetic field observations, including commercial ones, are currently used for various monitoring and modeling purposes. By appropriate developments, ISS could provide as well useful magnetic field data, observed in particular at very low altitudes, rarely reached by satellites.
Highlights Advanced processing of Astro Pi Challenge magnetic field data observed onboard ISS. Separation into external (geomagnetic) and internal (ISS) contributions. Astro Pi data scientifically relevant, beyond the original educational target. Potential for very low altitude monitoring of the magnetic field by ISS data.
Astro Pi sensor onboard the International Space Station as magnetic field surveyor
Acta Astronautica ; 195 ; 456-464
2022-03-14
9 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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