Solar Imaging Radio Array (SIRA): a multispacecraft mission

摘要: The Solar Imaging Radio Array (SIRA) is a mission to perform aperture synthesis imaging of low frequency solar, magnetospheric, and astrophysical radio bursts. primary science targets are coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which drive shock waves that may produce emission. A space-based interferometer required, because the frequencies observation (<15 MHz) cutoff by ionosphere. SIRA will require 12 16 microsatellite constellation establish sufficient number baselines with separations on order kilometers. microsats be located quasi-randomly spherical shell, initially diameter 10 km or less. baseline microsat, as presented here, 3-axis stabilized body-mounted, earth-directed high gain antenna an articulated solar array; this design was developed Integrated Mission Design Center (IMDC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight (GSFC). retrograde orbit distance ~500,000 from Earth selected preferred 8 Mbps downlink requirement easy meet, while keeping sufficiently distant terrestrial interference. Also, permits magnetospheric sources varied perspectives. serves pathfinder for satellite constellations spacecraft interferometry shorter wavelengths. It proposed MIDEX proposal opportunity in mid-2005.