A miniaturized subpayload system used for measurements in the ionosphere - A design concept

The ionosphere consists of plasma trapped by Earth's magnetic feld. The plasma consists of heterogeneous structures, which are susceptible to perturbation caused by solar winds. Radio waves passing through the ionosphere experience scintillation due to irregularities in the plasma. This is a problem for satellite-based systems used for communication and navigation because the signals received by ground-based terminals experience reduced signal quality. This effect is greater around the Equator and near the polar cusps. During periods with high solar activity it can cause satellite communication outage. To understand radio wave disturbance in the ionosphere and develop more accurate space weather models, one must measure and quantify the plasma structures and perturbation by using in-situ instruments.