The European Space Agency (ESA) has greenlit the development of the NanoMagSat constellation, marking a significant advancement in the use of small satellites for scientific missions.
NanoMagSat, a flagship mission spearheaded by Open Cosmos together with IPGP (Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS) and CEA-Léti, aims to revolutionise our understanding of Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric environment.
As a follow on from ESA’s successful Earth Explorer Swarm mission, NanoMagSat will use a constellation of three 16U satellites equipped with state-of-the-art instruments to monitor magnetic fields and ionospheric phenomena.
This mission is joining the Scout family, a programme from ESA to deliver scientific small satellite missions within a budget of less than €35 million.
The decision to proceed with NanoMagSat follows the successful completion of Risk Retirement Activities including the development of a 3m-long deployable boom and a satellite platform with exceptional magnetic cleanliness, key to ensuring state-of-the art magnetic accuracy.
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said of this news: “We are very pleased to add two new Scouts to our Earth observation mission portfolio. These small science missions perfectly complement our more traditional existing and future Earth Explorer missions, and will bring exciting benefits to Earth”
Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth Observation and Climate at the UK Space Agency, continued: “The increasingly powerful role of small satellites in science and Earth observation presents significant opportunities for the UK space sector. NanoMagSat is a fantastic example of this, with Open Cosmos developing the constellation and building the three new satellites at its expanding facilities in Harwell, supported by our record level of investment in ESA.
“By providing unprecedented data on the Earth’s magnetic field, NanoMagSat will support the work of scientists across the world and a wide range of UK organisations, including the British Geological Society, STFC RAL Space, and the Universities of Edinburgh, Lancaster and Leeds”
Florian Deconinck, VP of Growth at Open Cosmos: “ESA’s approval of the NanoMagSat constellation is a testament to the hard work of the whole team here at Open Cosmos and with our partners. It signifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what small satellites can provide for Earth Observation and science underscoring the strong, collaborative relationship we have built with ESA since the company was founded”
Gauthier Hulot, Principal Investigator of the mission and head of the IPGP NanoMagSat Team: “We, and the international science community, are extremely happy that ESA recognizes the value of NanoMagSat as a new Scout mission to improve our growing, but still limited, understanding of the Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric environment. This decision is very timely not only for science but also for multiple applications.”
