NASA selected a mission concept to investigate how space weather and atmospheric dynamics interact to affect the space environment, improving predictions for impacts on technologies like GPS and satellites, as well as astronauts in space.
The DAPHNE (Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer) mission has advanced to Phase B of development, focusing on flight planning and mission operations. It will employ twin satellites to analyze how changes in Earth’s lower atmosphere affect the upper atmosphere, where space weather phenomena occur.
“NASA is reinforcing the U.S. as a leader in space weather preparedness,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “By deepening our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, we can better forecast and address impacts on life on Earth and beyond,” Fox added. “As NASA explores beyond Earth’s magnetic shield to the Moon, Mars, and further, DAPHNE will support missions with critical data to predict and reduce space weather effects.”
The DAPHNE mission’s low-risk, high-return design will measure neutral winds, temperature, and composition in the thermosphere. This region marks the transition from Earth’s neutral atmosphere to space’s ionized plasma, constantly influenced by solar activity and atmospheric changes.
Key observations from DAPHNE will integrate lower-atmospheric energy data to improve space weather forecasting. Led by Aimee Merkel from the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the mission is funded and managed by NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes program at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Targeting a 2029 launch, the mission will undergo a 2027 confirmation review to evaluate progress and funding. If approved, its total cost (excluding launch) will not exceed $250 million in 2023 dollars.
