The Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer, or DAPHNE, mission will study the interaction between space weather and the Earth's atmosphere. Credit: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics/Mary Tostanoski
WASHINGTON — NASA has selected for development a space science mission that will study how space weather interacts with Earth’s atmosphere.
NASA announced June 18 that the Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer, or DAPHNE, mission will proceed into the next phase of development, with a launch planned for no earlier than 2029.
DAPHNE was one of three concepts selected by NASA for study in 2024 for a mission concept called Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling, or DYNAMIC, that was recommended by the heliophysics decadal survey in 2013 to examine the coupling between regions of the atmosphere and space weather.
DAPHNE will fly two identical satellites equipped with three instruments, dubbed MIGHTI, FUVI and PLATO. They will study conditions such as composition, temperature and winds in the thermosphere, a region of the upper atmosphere.
