BME Researchers Contribute to Space Probe Development to Study the Threat of an "Electrical Armageddon"

If you ask someone well versed in history what 1 September 1859 is known for, they will most likely mention the imperial decree that abolished the autonomy of Protestant churches in Hungary. However, something else of great importance also happened on that day: it marked the peak of what is considered the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history.

The so-called Carrington Event (named after the astronomer who described it) was caused by a massive solar eruption. In addition to producing spectacular auroras, it severely disrupted the operation of the telegraph network that had only recently been established across northern Europe and North America. Contemporary records report sparks flying from telegraph machines, in some cases even setting telegraph paper on fire.

Just imagine what impact a phenomenon of similar intensity would have today on electrical grids and electronic devices – and thus on our everyday lives. This is why it is crucial to learn as much as possible about geomagnetic storms. The European Space Agency (ESA) launched a project called Plasma Observatory in November 2023, aimed at finding answers to the following questions:

• What processes give rise to strong geomagnetic storms?
• How are charged particles accelerated during interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere?
• How does energy transfer operate within Earth’s magnetosphere?
• How do space weather processes develop that may endanger satellites, communication systems, or even electrical power grids?

If the plan is realised, seven identically constructed satellites flying in a constellation – also shown in the mission’s logo – will map in detail the interplanetary and near-Earth plasma environment. This dynamic space weather system, composed of ionised particles, will be studied through measurements that have not previously been possible.

The project involves experts from 8 countries, with Hungary represented by the geophysical research group of the HUN-REN Institute of Geophysics and Space Science, led by Árpád Kis, as well as researchers from BME. The Hungarian team working with funding from the ESA PRODEX support framework is responsible for the development of the low voltage power supply (LVPS) for one of the key elements of the instrument system, the Ion Mass Composition Analyser (IMCA). This component is critical to the stable and precise operation of the instrument and is planned to be installed on all seven satellites.

Special challenges

“It is a It is a great achievement to be involved in such an international collaboration, but it is quite a complex task.” “We can only hold online meetings 2 p.m. Hungarian time, as this is the only time when the Japanese have not yet gone to bed and the Americans have already woken up,” said József Szabó, research fellow and technical lead of the project team at the Space Technology Laboratory of the Department of Broadband Infocommunications and Electromagnetic Theory, in an interview with bme.hu.

As far as the scientific challenges are concerned, 

the power supply will be exposed in space for several decades to special conditions, extreme radiation and temperatures. 

At the same time, it must operate with very high reliability, as no repairs can be carried out on hardware components after launch. For this reason, “it is made up of very expensive components: an analogue-to-digital converter can cost three thousand euros, and a processor can cost as much as fifteen thousand euros. There are components that can only be procured with a lead time of a year and a half,” József Szabó noted.

Fortunately, the members of the BME research group have experience in such special tasks. They have previously participated in several ESA projects, for example, they developed the entire power supply system of Philae, Rosetta spacecraft's lander that performed a successful comet landing.

The Plasma Observatory is currently in the detailed system design phase (Phase A). At this stage, the details of the mission’s scientific and technical concept are developed, the risks are assessed, and the configuration of the instruments is refined. It is competing with two other projects to become ESA’s next scientific mission. A decision is expected this spring – if selected, the launch of the space mission is expected in the late 2030s.

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