SBIR-STTR Award

Enhancement of the Geomagnetic Cutoff Models inside SIRE2 (SIRE2-Real)
Award last edited on: 1/16/2023

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NASA : MSFC
Total Award Amount
$999,981
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
S14.01
Principal Investigator
Zachary Robinson

Company Information

Fifth Gait Technologies (AKA: 5TH GAIT)

5531 Somerset Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
   (805) 964-1496
   kathy@5thgait.com
   www.5thgait.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 24
County: Santa Barbara

Phase I

Contract Number: 80NSSC22PB025
Start Date: 7/22/2022    Completed: 1/25/2023
Phase I year
2022
Phase I Amount
$149,990
The enhancement of the geomagnetic cutoff models inside of the Space Ionizing Radiation Environments and Effects (SIRE2) tool will evaluate and expand on our geomagnetic cutoff modeling as an extension of our previous work. This proposal will also adapt the current geomagnetic cutoff modeling software to be driven by the Dst index rather than the Kp index to better reflect the ring current effects. These improved geomagnetic cutoff modeling timelines will be compared to geomagnetic cutoff measurements for a selected Solar Particle Event (SPE). This proposal is submitted to the Space Weather Research-to-Operations/Operations-to-Research (R2O/O2R) Technology Development subtopic and will provide key research that can be used to improve future geomagnetic cutoff models. Specifically, this research can be included in the next iteration of the Smart Shea model (circa 2025) to enhance the geomagnetic cutoff modeling of the SIRE2 toolkit. This will provide mission designers, planners, and mission operators with advanced geomagnetic cutoff modeling techniques. Once incorporated into a tool like SIRE2, these advancements will provide improved modeling of the energetic particle environment within the Earth’s magnetosphere. This Phase I proposal will result in demonstrations that illustrate the improvements that can be made to the geomagnetic cutoff models by driving the model by the Dst index rather than the Kp Index and using finer Dst levels to create the cutoff grids. In addition, these improvements of the geomagnetic cutoff modeling timeliness will be compared to geomagnetic cutoff measurements for a selected SPE to illustrate the improvements in these techniques. Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): When the goals of this Phase I effort are complete, NASA will have a better understanding of improvements that can be made to the current geomagnetic cutoff models. These improvements will provide better modeling capabilities of the energetic particle environment inside of the Earth’s magnetosphere. The current NASA programs, projects, or missions that could greatly benefit from this Phase I effort are any satellites or missions that operate inside the Earth’s magnetosphere, including the International Space Station, Space Launch System, etc. Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin can utilize this Phase I/II work to support future space adventure plans. Enhanced geomagnetic cutoff models would provide these companies with more accurate particle environments. There are also numerous DoD and DoE programs that exclusively operate within the Earth’s magnetosphere and would benefit from enhanced geomagnetic cutoff models. Duration: 6

Phase II

Contract Number: 80NSSC23CA098
Start Date: 5/19/2023    Completed: 5/18/2025
Phase II year
2023
Phase II Amount
$849,991
The Space Ionizing Radiation Environment and Effects (SIRE2) toolkit was developed to provide the space radiation environment and effects community with state-of-the-art models that can be used not just for satellites but also for arbitrary trajectories. In this Phase II effort, the SIRE2-Real capabilities will be tested and integrated into the SIRE2 toolkit. SIRE2-Real will provide benchmarking of space environments to historical measurements and spacecraft anomalies. The SIRE2-Real capabilities will allow the user to select a historical time range for SIRE2-Real to determine the peak flux, flux-time series, and mission-integrated fluence for the solar energetic particle (SEP) environment. SIRE2-Real will also use the historical Dst value for the geomagnetic activity at Earth during the user’s historical time range and be able to perform geomagnetic cutoff calculations using the historical International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) epoch that is closest to the user’s mission. The Mission Specific Solar Radiation Environment Model (MSSREM) and the Smart-Shea 2022 geomagnetic cutoff model will need to be updated, tested, and integrated into SIRE2 to provide the SIRE-Real capability. The MSSREM model will provide the user with historical peak flux, flux time series, and mission-integrated fluence for a user’s mission. The Smart-Shea 2022 geomagnetic cutoff model will need to be extended to allow the user to select between multiple IGRF epochs in the calculation. The Fifth Gait team will also be looking to enhance the geomagnetic cutoff models inside of SIRE2. The first thing that will be examined is the use of the 20 km vs 450 km world cutoff grids in the Smart-Shea model to determine if there is any significant difference between using the two different grids. Penumbral transparencies and analysis of the October 20, 1989 shock interval are other areas of improvement in the geomagnetic cutoff models that will be examined during the Phase II effort. Anticipated

Benefits:
When the Phase II effort is complete, NASA will have access to SIRE2-Real that can provide benchmarking of space environments to historical measurements. Spacecraft designers and operators will be able to use the benchmarking of space environments to assess spacecraft anomalies that would have occurred during the historical time range. With SIRE2-Real, NASA will be able to assess their spacecraft to historical measurements that have not been possible in the past, providing additional data on the survivability of their spacecraft. Major prime contractors have noted interest in using a SIRE-Real capability to assess spacecraft anomalies investigations. Companies like Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop, Raytheon, SpaceX and Blue Origin can use SIRE2-Real to assess their spacecraft with the benchmarking of space environments to historical measurements and assess the potential for spacecraft anomalies from the historical SEP event.