SET Science Goals
The SET project derives its science requirements from two Sun-Earth Connection Theme objectives:
- To understand solar variability and its effects on the space and Earth environments with an ultimate goal of a reliable predictive capability of solar variability;
- To obtain scientific knowledge relevant to mitigation or accommodation of undesirable effects of solar variability on humans and human technology on the ground and in space
- Five areas of investigations are covered: Environment definition in the presence of the spacecraft, Materials, Microelectronics, Detectors/Sensors,Spacecraft Charging/Discharging
Science Objectives
- Define space environment effects and mechanisms
- Reduce design margins
- Increase use of space environment “tolerant” technologies
- Increase the fraction of resources for payload
- Reduce launch vehicle requirements
- Enable routine operations above Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (above 2000 km) for LEO cost
- Improve design and operations guidelines
- Reduce unnecessary shutdowns
- Lower the risk of anomalies
- Reduce the number of operational failures
When margins for spacecraft design and operations are reduced, space environment “tolerant” and new technologies can be used more frequently, the fraction of spacecraft resources available for payloads can be increased or launch vehicle requirements can be reduced, routine operations above Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (above 2000 km) can be performed at the same cost as for the LEO operations.
