CubeSat mission for ionosphere mapping and weather forecasting using chip-scale atomic clock

The project SPATIUM (Space Precision Atomic-clock TIming Utility Mission) presents a new technique for ionosphere mapping using a constellation of CubeSats equipped with Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) to provide real-time three-dimensional mapping of ionosphere plasma density at the altitudes of electron density peak (200 to 400 km above the Earth). This paper describes the principle of the ionosphere mapping and total electron content (TEC) determination using satellite signal transmission with a dual-frequency and signal shift determination at the Ground Station using the same referenced CSAC clock. The paper also describes reasons of RF signal delays/shifting due to atmosphere and ionosphere plasma conditions. A 2U CubeSat, SPATIUM-I, is introduced as a platform. The future plans for the project expansion are also given.