CSES (China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite) is a scientific space program conducted to investigate the topside ionosphere by instruments using the most advanced techniques and installed on board of CSES satellites. Designed to gather world-wide data of the near-Earth environment, the CSES missions are dedicated to monitoring electromagnetic field and waves, plasma and particles perturbations of the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere induced by natural sources and anthropocentric emitters, and to study their correlations with the occurrence of seismic events. More in general, they investigate the structure and the dynamic of the topside ionosphere, the coupling mechanisms with the lower and higher plasma layers and the temporal variations of the geomagnetic field, in quiet and disturbed conditions. Data collected by the missions also allow studying solar-terrestrial interactions and phenomena of solar physics, namely Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), solar flares and cosmic ray solar modulation. The data will contribute to provide an observational sharing service for international cooperation and the scientific community.
The first CSES satellite (CSES-01) has been launched on February 2nd, 2018, and it has already surpassed its expected lifetime of 5 years.
The second CSES satellite (CSES-02) is currently undergoing the final tests before the launch, scheduled for December 12, 2024.
These missions are performed in the framework of a collaboration program between the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and developed by the National Institute of Natural Hazards (NINH), the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics and Planetology ( INAF-IAPS), together with several Chinese and Italian Universities and research Institutes.
Italy participates to the CSES satellite missions with the LIMADOU project through a collaboration that includes the INFN Divisions of Bologna, Napoli, Roma Tor Vergata, Torino, the INFN Center TIFPA of Trento, the INFN National Laboratories of Frascati, the Universities of Trento , Torino, Roma Tor Vergata, Napoli, L’Aquila, UTIU, IFAC – CNR Firenze and the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
Litosphere – Ionosphere – Magnetosphere Coupling
CSES missions study the ionospheric disturbances induced by seismic activity and earthquake preparation mechanisms. In particular, the missions aim at analyzing the temporal correlation between seismic events and occurrence of electromagnetic perturbations in the upper ionosphere and precipitations of Van Allen particles. Furthermore, CSES provides important information on ionosphere parameters and on the unknown behavior of the ionosphere-magnetosphere transition region, in order to develop physical models of the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling mechanism.
Solar Physics and Space Weather
The CSES space missions measure electrons, protons and light nuclei in an energy range from KeV to few hundreds MeV, and are able to monitor GCR Solar Modulation, to detect SEP and CME and to study the consequent triggered geomagnetic storm, even of small intensity .
South Atlantic Anomaly
CSES missions are able to provide precise measurements of proton fluxes in the MeV energy range inside the SAA, allowing for monitoring the radiation environment for the next decades and helping the validation and test of the SAA models.