COSMO

COmpact Spaceborne Magnetic Observatory

Conducting measurements of Earth’s magnetic field to provide essential information for navigation

COSMO is a SmallSat mission designed to measure the Earth’s magnetic field. This mission will continue essential measurements that are used in the World Magnetic Model, which is the standard model for navigation systems. COSMO will measure the Earth’s planetary magnetic field with an precision better than one part in 10,000 to achieve the measurements required for this model. LASP provided the SmallSat bus and is responsible for mission operations. University of Colorado Boulder graduate and undergraduate students are involved to every aspect of CANVAS, including the design, construction, testing, and eventual on-orbit operation, data analysis, and publication of scientific results.

Mission Class:

SmallSats

Mission Status:

Current

LASP Roles:

Research, Data, Mission Operations, Engineering

Science Target:

Earth's Atmosphere, Earth's Magnetosphere

Mission Focus:

Earth's Atmosphere, Magnetosphere

Primary Mission Site:

Launch Date: March 2026

Prime Mission: less than 1 year

Lead Institution: University of Colorado Boulder, Aerospace Department

Lead Funding Agency: US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency