CIRBE

Home

CIRBE

Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment

Elucidating inner radiation belt electrons

The Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment 3U CubeSat goal is to gain a better understanding of the formation of the inner radiation belt electrons as well as determine where these particles come from and how they behave. The proposed goal of the CIRBE mission is to provide state-of-the-art measurements of 0.25-6 MeV electrons (and 6.5-100 MeV protons) in the Earth’s radiation belt in a highly inclined Low Earth Orbit.

Mission Class:

CubeSats

Mission Status:

Current

LASP Roles:

Research, Instruments, Data, Mission Operations, Lead Institute

Science Target:

Earth's Magnetosphere

Mission Focus:

Magnetosphere, Van Allen Belts

Primary Mission Site:

https://lasp.colorado.edu/cirbe/

Launch Date: April 2023
Prime Mission: 6 months

Lead Institute: LASP

Lead Funding Agency: NASA

Satellites in orbit are integral to everyday life on Earth. The position of these satellites in orbit makes them especially prone to radiation damages such as single-event upsets and latches that occur when high energy particles interact with the electronics inside of the satellite. Known for having highly energetic trapped particles drifting around the Earth, radiation belts pose an apparent threat to orbiting satellites as well as astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA). Despite being the first scientific discovery of the space age, there are still many unsolved puzzles regarding radiation belt dynamics.

The CIRBE mission will gain understanding of the formation of the inner radiation belt electrons as well as determine where these particles come from and how they behave. The CIRBE instrument, REPTile-2 (Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope integrated little experiment – 2) will measure the energies of incident electrons and protons (0.25-6 MeV electrons and 6.5-100 MeV protons) in the Earth’s radiation belt.