The INS-2TD and INSPIRESat-2 satellites are part of a constellation that studies the ionosphere. These two satellites measure the ionosphere’s structure and irregularities to provide information about ionospheric instability and the disruption of satellite and terrestrial radio communications. The Compact Ionosphere Probe, or CIOP, is an all-in-one in-situ plasma sensor based on the Advanced Ionosphere Probe. During ionospheric instability, scientists are able to identify plasma irregularities, which can lead to disrupting satellite and terrestrial radio communications.
INSPIRESat-1 CubeSat
In February of 2022, India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the first INSPIRESat-1 CubeSatellite into orbit. The satellite was developed by a team of international scientists from the Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, the University of Colorado, Boulder, and several universities in Taiwan. It is expected to measure solar radiation and orbital heating. It weighs less than ten kilograms and will operate as a remote sensing instrument.
The mission concept for the INSPIRESat-1 CubeSatellite was developed during the first INSPIRE workshop held in Taipei, Taiwan in July 2016. International partners considered possible payloads and science missions. The Compact Ionosphere Probe (CIP) was selected as the science payload based on its technological readiness and compatibility with the CubeSatellite. Brainstorming sessions helped to decide on the work division among participating institutes. The final decision was made and illustrated in a concept illustration.
INS-2TD
The INS-2TD is a tech demonstrator for INSPIREsat-1. The satellite carries a thermal imaging camera and aims to monitor land temperatures and water bodies’ surface temperatures. The data it collects will also help in identifying vegetation and measuring thermal inertia. It will be launched on a PSLV rocket in March 2022. It is the first joint satellite between India and Bhutan.
The first in its class, INS-2TD will help in the demonstration of indigenous nanosystems. It is the successor of the INSPIRESat-1 student satellite, which was launched in 2011. The two students jointly developed the INSPIRESat-1 satellite. INS-2TD will conduct research on the ionosphere and the sun’s corona, as well as the Earth’s ionosphere.
The satellite’s DAXSS payload consists of a thermal imaging camera that will help scientists evaluate land, sea and water surface temperatures. Its thermal imaging camera will also help scientists estimate the presence of vegetation and heat islands. Its orbit period is 95 minutes and its average eclipse is 35 minutes, providing a total of five hundred and twenty nine minutes of sunlight. The INS-2TD will also help DAXSS take soft X-ray spectrum readings.
Compact Ionosphere Probe
INSPIRESat-1 is a 3U cubesat carrying a compact ionosphere probe (CIP) that will measure the ion temperature, drift velocity, and electron temperature. The mission is scheduled for launch in 2019 with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Its primary science goals are to better understand the nighttime small-scale plasma irregularities and to investigate the latitudinal extent of the midnight temperature maximum.
The DAXSS payload consists of the X-ray Spectrometer, the Solar Position Sensor, and the small Solar Irradiance Measurement instrument. The instrument is packaged on an interface board, CDH, and EPS boards. The X-ray spectrometer is a fast silicon drift detector designed by Amptek. The detector is sensitive to Soft X-ray photons with energies of 0.5 to 30 keV. The instrument also has a Si-PIN detector and 0.15 keV resolution. The SPS/PicoSIM package was developed by NASA and the University of Arizona, and it will serve as the master processor for INSPIRESat-1.
Text-to-Speech service
INSPIRESat-1, a satellite developed jointly by India, Taiwan, and Singapore, entered orbit on Valentine’s Day, 2019. The satellite was launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). It began transmitting signals from space on February 12, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. Taiwan time. Currently, it carries two scientific instruments to collect data on the ionosphere and the sun’s corona, which serve as a space weather station.
INSPIRESat is the first satellite with a text-to-speech service. The service enables users to create audio recordings of virtually any content, including text. The service can be used by both people with and without good voices. It can also be integrated into systems that require notification, such as airline ticketing systems, queue-based applications at hospitals, and appointment reminders.