BackForwardInstrument:  SWS/IPM 

Instrument details
Acronym SWS/IPM
Full name Space Weather Suite / Ionospheric PhotoMeter
Purpose UV spectrometry of the ionosphere
Short description
  • Observation of the night-sky 135.6 nm oxygen airglow intensity for the retrieval of ionospheric total electrons and NmF2 (sensitivity ≥150 counts.s-1.R-1); and observation of the bright-day 135.6 nm oxygen air glow intensity and the nitrogen air glow intensity of LBH (140-180 nm）(sensitivity≥1 counts.s-1.R-1) for the retrieval of oxygen-nitrogen ratio at the ionospheric altitude.
  • Calibration monitoring here
Background

Part of the SWS (Space Weather Suite) package
Scanning Technique

Ionospheric viewing from a sunsynchronous orbit. FOV: 3.5° (along-track) × 1.6° (cross-track)
Resolution 30 km at the altitude of 300 km.
Coverage / Cycle Global daily. Sampling at 20 s intervals (oxygen) and 2 s (nitrogen)
Mass Power Data Rate

 

Providing Agency CMA
Instrument Maturity Backed by strong heritage
Utilization Period: 2018 to 2033
Last update: 2025-04-07
Detailed characteristics
Satellites this instrument is flying on

Note: a red tag indicates satellites no longer operational, a green tag indicates operational satellites, a blue tag indicates future satellites

Instrument classification
  • Solar and space environment monitors
  • Space radiometer or spectrometer
WIGOS Subcomponents
  • Subcomponent 2
  • Magnetospheric energetic particles and magnetometers
  • Ionospheric electron density sensor [in LEO and cross magnetosphere]
Mission objectives
Primary mission objectives
  • UV sky image
Evaluation of Measurements

The following list indicates which measurements can typically be retrieved from this category of instrument. To see a full Gap Analysis by Variable, click on the respective variable.

Note: table can be sorted by clicking on the column headers
Note: * Primary mission objective.
VariableRelevance for measuring this variableOperational limitationsExplanation
UV flux1 - primaryNo specific limitation.Earth's limb and surface observed, wide dynamic range