MIT: A Future Mission to Investigate Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling with Multipoint Observations

Abstract:

The Magnetosphere, Ionosphere and Thermosphere (MIT) mission is one of the Space Science Strategic Pioneer

Projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Its major scientific objectives focus on the heating, acceleration

and transport processes of ions in the polar regions and on their impact on the ring current and radiation belts.

Because of the dynamic nature of these processes that also vary with altitude, it is imperative to cover with MIT

altitudes from a few 100 km to several earth radii. This will be accomplished with a novel constellation of four

spacecraft in polar orbits that provide periodic simultaneous measurements in the polar regions at three different

altitudes. The two Ionospheric spacecraft have a polar orbit of 500km*1500km. The other two spacecraft have

symmetric polar orbits with geocentric distances of 2Re*8Re (Re is the radius of the Earth).With instrument packages

covering particle and field measurements over a wide energy range on all four spacecraft we will be able to

monitor and investigate all relevant processes, including ion outflow from the source region in the ionosphere, their

acceleration at mid-altitudes, to their final destination in the magnetosphere. Presently, MIT is in the background

study stage that will be completed in 2015, with the engineering stage planed to start in 2016, if selected.