SWARM-EX 1, 2, 3

SWARM-EX [CU Boulder]

The SWARM-EX (Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment) project provides an important step in the advancement of designing and building CubeSat constellations for space weather.

SWARM-EX will consist of three identical 3U-CubeSats with novel technologies for radio communications between satellites, onboard propulsion, advanced data downlinks, and autonomous operations within the constellation. Each satellite will measure ionized and neutral gases in the Earth's upper atmosphere, studying structures seen near the equator.

The payload section of the SWARM-EX pathfinder satellite houses two sensors, a Langmuir Probe and a FIPEX (Flux-Φ-Probe-Experiment), as well as the electronics required to operate them.

The CubeSat utilizes the Blue Canyon Technologies ADCS (Attitude Determination and Control System) XACT-15 to achieve its science and formation !ying goals. The XACT-15 system is an integrated unit containing three reaction wheels and three magnetorquers. Two external sun sensors are placed on the nadir- and zenith-facing sides to ensure continuous coverage. A 0.5U cold gas thruster provides the necessary delta-v for formation flying maneuvers.

It was selected in 2021 by NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) to be launched as part of the ELaNa program.