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Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
342
C
Toward a Diversified, Distributed
Sensor Deployment Strategy
Breakthrough research in heliophysics is enabled by research platforms of a variety of sizes and with a
range of functions: billion-dollar-scale strategic missions with payloads up to 100 kg can enable a new set
of measurements otherwise not accessible; however, as described in Part I of this report, there are opportunities for leading-edge research with $375 million medium-size Explorers; $150 million small Explorers
with payloads of 20 kg; and CubeSats, at $1 million scale, with payloads of 1 kg. In addition to these
space-based platforms, suborbital programs provide unique, relatively low-cost opportunities for research
and technology demonstration. For example, sounding rockets provide the only means for in situ sampling
in regions inaccessible to aircraft, balloons, or satellite platforms. 1 Ground-based facilities offer an entirely
different, but no less necessary, “platform” for solar and space physics research and long-term observations.
Finally, there are unique opportunities for solar and space physics research to be carried out by instruments
hosted on commercial and government space platforms that carry payloads for other purposes.
A diversity of approaches is required for achieving the top-level objective in solar and space physics—to
create system-wide understanding—but the data from these platforms need to be integrated into distributed
yet coordinated approaches that create the best system-wide understanding from the data, which may very
well be collected by a variety of platforms.
This appendix reviews the platforms that are currently available to pursue research in solar and space
physics and examines prospects for the coming decade. Its review is not comprehensive (and discussions of NASA spacecraft are left to Part I of this report); however, it does provide illustrative examples
of the scientific utility of selected platforms. The appendix also describes examples of data integration in
constellations and so-called heterogeneous facilities—a set of distributed measurements from a variety of
measurement vantage points, integrated into a greater whole.
1 In particular, direct in situ sampling in the important region of the lower ionosphere/thermosphere and mesosphere below 120
km altitude is not possible with aircraft and balloons, which operate well below this height, or with satellites, which to avoid atmospheric drag must be placed in orbits at higher altitude. See, NASA, “NASA Sounding Rocket Science,” at http://rscience.gsfc.nasa.
gov/srrov.html.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
342
C
Toward a Diversified, Distributed
Sensor Deployment Strategy
Breakthrough research in heliophysics is enabled by research platforms of a variety of sizes and with a
range of functions: billion-dollar-scale strategic missions with payloads up to 100 kg can enable a new set
of measurements otherwise not accessible; however, as described in Part I of this report, there are opportunities for leading-edge research with $375 million medium-size Explorers; $150 million small Explorers
with payloads of 20 kg; and CubeSats, at $1 million scale, with payloads of 1 kg. In addition to these
space-based platforms, suborbital programs provide unique, relatively low-cost opportunities for research
and technology demonstration. For example, sounding rockets provide the only means for in situ sampling
in regions inaccessible to aircraft, balloons, or satellite platforms. 1 Ground-based facilities offer an entirely
different, but no less necessary, “platform” for solar and space physics research and long-term observations.
Finally, there are unique opportunities for solar and space physics research to be carried out by instruments
hosted on commercial and government space platforms that carry payloads for other purposes.
A diversity of approaches is required for achieving the top-level objective in solar and space physics—to
create system-wide understanding—but the data from these platforms need to be integrated into distributed
yet coordinated approaches that create the best system-wide understanding from the data, which may very
well be collected by a variety of platforms.
This appendix reviews the platforms that are currently available to pursue research in solar and space
physics and examines prospects for the coming decade. Its review is not comprehensive (and discussions of NASA spacecraft are left to Part I of this report); however, it does provide illustrative examples
of the scientific utility of selected platforms. The appendix also describes examples of data integration in
constellations and so-called heterogeneous facilities—a set of distributed measurements from a variety of
measurement vantage points, integrated into a greater whole.
1 In particular, direct in situ sampling in the important region of the lower ionosphere/thermosphere and mesosphere below 120
km altitude is not possible with aircraft and balloons, which operate well below this height, or with satellites, which to avoid atmospheric drag must be placed in orbits at higher altitude. See, NASA, “NASA Sounding Rocket Science,” at http://rscience.gsfc.nasa.
gov/srrov.html.