Mini-EUSO: A Precursor Mission on the International Space Station for the Observation of Atmosphere and Earth in the UV Light

Abstract

For any experiment aiming at the observation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) from space, one key measurement is related to the UV emissions produced in the Earth's atmosphere. In view of the planned missions under study (KLYPVE-EUSO, JEM-EUSO, EUSO-FF) at the International Space Station (ISS) and on board of free-flyer satellites, a small, compact UV telescope, Mini-EUSO, is being developed by the JEM-EUSO International Collaboration to be placed at the UV-transparent, nadir looking window of the Russian module of the ISS. In addition to the main purpose of mapping the Earth in the UV range (300 -400 nm), Mini-EUSO will also perform studies of atmospheric phenomena, observation of meteors, strange quark matter search and space debris tracking. It will as well enhance the technological readiness level of the EUSO concept and instruments. Mini-EUSO is a mission approved and selected by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and, under the name "UV atmosphere", by the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos.

The onboard software of the EUSO‐SPB pathfinder experiment

“…It was launched by NASA on April 24, 2017 from Wanaka, New Zealand. A new improved version of EUSO‐SPB is an ongoing project, a first short test flight is preliminary planned for 2020 and a second long duration flight for 2022. The Mini‐EUSO mission telescope is conceived to be installed on the ISS, looking at Earth through the UV‐transparent window of the Russian Zvezda module, it is in its final stage of development and the launch is scheduled for the beginning of 2019. These four pathfinder experiments share the same logic structure, and the first three actually share the same hardware and software design. This paper focuses on them, with particular regard to EUSO‐SPB, which is the most advanced version.…”