NASA uses the DAPHNE Mission to improve space weather forecasting

NASA has selected a new mission concept called DAPHNE (Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer) to improve the understanding of how space weather and Earth’s atmospheric dynamics interact

DAPHNE is designed to help scientists better predict disruptions that can affect satellites, navigation systems, and astronauts operating in space.

The mission is now moving into Phase B development, a stage focused on detailed planning and engineering design for spacecraft, instruments, and mission operations. If it successfully passes its next major review in 2027, the mission could launch no earlier than 2029.

Understanding Earth’s upper atmosphere

DAPHNE will focus on an important region of near-Earth space where the planet’s atmosphere transitions into space itself. This area includes the thermosphere and ionosphere, where solar radiation and geomagnetic activity constantly reshape atmospheric conditions.

In this region, charged particles interact with neutral gases, creating dynamic conditions that can influence satellite orbits, communication signals, and navigation accuracy.

DAPHNE aims to capture detailed measurements of these processes to improve scientific models of how energy flows from the lower atmosphere upward into space.

Twin satellites for coordinated measurements

The mission concept relies on two identical satellites working together in orbit. This dual-satellite approach allows scientists to collect simultaneous measurements from different locations, giving a more complete picture of how atmospheric conditions change over time and space.

The spacecraft will measure key variables, including neutral winds, temperature, and atmospheric composition. These observations are intended to help researchers understand how energy from Earth’s lower atmosphere influences space weather conditions higher in the atmosphere.

Space weather events can interfere with technologies that modern society depends on. Variations in the ionosphere can disrupt GPS signals, affect radio communications, and increase drag on satellites in low Earth orbit. In more extreme cases, space weather can also pose risks to astronauts outside Earth’s protective magnetic field.

By improving predictive models, DAPHNE is expected to support more reliable forecasting of these conditions. This could help satellite operators adjust orbits, improve navigation accuracy, and allow space missions to better prepare for periods of heightened solar activity.

The mission is part of NASA’s broader effort to strengthen resilience against space weather impacts as exploration expands beyond Earth orbit, including future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Development timeline and oversight

DAPHNE was selected through NASA’s competitive mission concept process under the DYNAMIC (Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling) initiative. The mission is managed under NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes program at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland.

DAPHNE is being developed through the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, with leadership from Aimee Merkel of the same institution.

A key review in 2027 will determine whether the mission proceeds to full development, based on technical readiness and budget considerations. If approved, the total cost of the mission, excluding launch, is expected to remain under 250 million dollars in fiscal year 2023 estimates.

By linking changes in Earth’s lower atmosphere to conditions in near-Earth space, DAPHNE aims to close major gaps in current space weather understanding. The mission is expected to provide long-term data that will improve forecasting models and support safer, more reliable space operations.