ESA partners with Open Cosmos on multi-million magnetic field mission

Satellite technology company Open Cosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a contract for the development, launch and commissioning of NanoMagSat. This is the third mission in the ESA Scout framework tapping into New Space and complementing ESA’s series of Earth Explorer research missions. This innovative mission will use a constellation of three satellites to advance the understanding and monitoring of Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric environment.

The magnetic field, essential to life on Earth, shields the planet from energetic charged particles. Understanding its dynamics is vital for precise navigation, geophysical surveying and studying the properties of Earth’s shallow and deep structures. NanoMagSat will complement and extend the electromagnetic field measurements of ESA’s highly successful Swarm mission, ensuring continuous European leadership in magnetic field observation from space – a legacy that has been maintained since 1999.

High-accuracy magnetic field measurements

The NanoMagSat mission is designed to monitor the Earth’s magnetic field and ionospheric environment with unparalleled spatio-temporal coverage and revisit times. It consists of three satellites, which will orbit the Earth at an altitude of 545km, with two satellites positioned at a 60° inclination and one in a prograde polar orbit. The first satellite is planned for launch by late 2027, with the next two following closely after that, making a constellation to operate for a three-year lifetime.

Each satellite will be equipped with advanced payloads. These includd a miniaturized absolute magnetometer (MAM) paired with star cameras on top of a deployable boom to deliver high-accuracy magnetic field measurements. Additionally, there will be a high-frequency magnetometer (HFM) in the middle of the boom for detailed vector field analysis, and a multi-needle Langmuir probe (m-NLP) to capture ionospheric plasma density and dynamics. Dual-frequency GNSS receivers will further enhance the mission by providing data for ionospheric modelling and radio-occultation studies.

The mission will provide critical data for scientific exploitation. This data will have multiple applications such as space weather assessment, enhanced navigation and directional drilling precision. It will contribute to climate studies by observing fast planetary magnetic changes and ionospheric plasma dynamics.

Open Cosmos leads a consortium of renowned European organizations contributing to the NanoMagSat mission. Open Cosmos serves as the prime contractor and satellite manufacturer. CEA-Léti in France is responsible for the payload development and magnetometer manufacturer, while COMET Aerospace in Spain will deliver the deployable boom and optical bench. The Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, in France provides scientific leadership for the mission. The University of Oslo in Norway develops the Langmuir probes, and the Technical University of Denmark contributes with its expertise in advanced star trackers.