Sunstorm (spacecraft)

Last updated

Sunstorm
NamesSUNSTORM 1
XFM Cube
XFM CubeSat
Mission type space weather, heliophysics, technology demonstration
Operator ESA
COSPAR ID 2021-073C
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type2U CubeSat
ManufacturerKuva Space
Start of mission
Launch date17 August 2021
Rocket Vega
End of mission
Disposaldeorbited
Declared4 September 2024

Sunstorm was a heliophysics and space weather monitoring technology demonstration CubeSat-type satellite by the European Space Agency (ESA). During its 3-year mission in the low Earth orbit (LEO), Sunstorm succesfully tested a miniaturized X-Ray Flux Monitor (XFM) instrument by observing solar flares. It was launched in 2021 on a Vega rocket and reentered the atmosphere in 2024. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

See also

References

  1. "Space Weather Cubesat: Sunstorm Satellite Completes Mission - IEEE Spectrum". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  2. Lehtolainen, A.; Huovelin, J.; Korpela, S.; Kilpua, E.; Andersson, H.; Giurisato, D.; Lehti, J.; Saari, J.; Peltonen, J.; Säntti, T.; Hirvonen, M.; Talvioja, M.; Luntama, T.; Kuhno, J.; Solin, O. (2022). "SUNSTORM 1/X-ray Flux Monitor for CubeSats (XFM-CS): Instrument characterization and first results". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. 1035: 166865. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2022.166865. ISSN   0168-9002.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  3. "Sunstorm (XFM Cube, XFM CubeSat)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  4. Kulu, Erik. "Sunstorm". Nanosats Database. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  5. "Sunstorm starts measuring Sun's X-ray radiation with a cutting edge miniature instrument". kuvaspace.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  6. "Sunstorm CubeSat developed by Kuva Space and Isaware successfully completes mission and re-enters Earth's atmosphere". kuvaspace.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  7. "SunStorm". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  8. "Sunstorm CubeSat - eoPortal". www.eoportal.org. Archived from the original on 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  9. Agency, European Space. "NOAA adopts Finland's CubeSat-proven space weather monitor". phys.org. Retrieved 2025-09-26.