Understanding the Radiation Environment in Near-Earth Space and its Impact on the Earth’s Atmosphere with Current and Future Space Missions

The Earth’s radiation environment couples to the upper atmosphere through precipitation of energetic electrons in high-latitude regions. This precipitation is driven by electromagnetic waves in the plasma environment around the Earth, including waves generated by lightning discharges. We use data from the DEMETER mission, built and operated by LPC2E between 2004-2010, to better understand the propagation characteristics of these lightning-generated signals and their effects on the radiation environment. Further, we use lessons and heritage from the DEMETER mission to inform design decisions and data analysis techniques for the upcoming CANVAS mission, a collaboration between the University of Colorado Boulder and LPC2E. CANVAS is expected to launch in mid-2024.