A team sponsored by NASA is revolutionizing the measurement of magnetic fields by developing a new system that combines scientific measurements with spacecraft attitude control functions. This innovative system is compact, lightweight, and can be integrated directly onto the spacecraft, eliminating the need for the typically required boom structure to measure Earth's magnetic field. This advancement not only allows smaller and more cost-effective spacecraft to conduct these measurements but also has the potential to replace standard attitude control systems in future Earth-orbiting spacecraft, enabling them to provide crucial global measurements that aid in understanding how Earth's magnetic field shields us from harmful solar particles.

Solar storms drive space weather that poses threats to various assets in space and can disrupt Earth's upper atmosphere, impacting communication and power grids. Fortunately, Earth's magnetic field acts as a protective shield, redirecting much of the energy to the north and south poles, where it creates mesmerizing aurorae. These aurorae showcase the electromagnetic energy and currents flowing through Earth's space environment, often exhibiting small-scale magnetic features that influence the overall energy flow. To observe these features, multiple simultaneous measurements across various spatial and temporal scales are required, a task that can be achieved through constellations of small spacecraft.

To facilitate such constellations, NASA is developing an innovative hybrid magnetometer that can conduct both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) magnetic measurements while being integrated into the spacecraft's attitude determination and control system (ADCS). High-performance, low SWAP+C (size, weight, power, and cost) instruments are essential, along with the capability to produce and test large quantities of these instruments within a typical flight build schedule. Future commercial or scientific satellites could utilize these compact embedded hybrid magnetometers to gather the necessary measurements for expanding our knowledge of space weather and Earth's magnetic field responses to solar storms.

Traditionally, conducting research-grade DC and AC magnetic measurements using sensors within an ADCS was challenging due to the proximity to magnetic noise sources like magnetic torque rods. Previous missions placed DC and AC magnetometers on long booms pointing away from the satellite to minimize interference. The HyMag-ADCS project at the University of Michigan is developing a new hybrid magnetometer and attitude determination and control system that eliminates the need for booms. This system includes a three-axis search coil AC magnetometer and a three-axis Quad-Mag DC magnetometer, with the latter utilizing machine learning to enable boomless DC magnetometry. The hybrid system can perform both ADCS functions and scientific measurements within a single compact package.

The HyMag-ADCS team is incorporating various technologies into the system to ensure its success, such as Quad-Mag hardware, dual-use electromagnetic rods, and machine learning algorithms for noise identification. By utilizing these advancements, the HyMag-ADCS system aims to autonomously remove spacecraft-generated noise, enhancing the accuracy of magnetic field measurements and attitude determination. This project, primarily led by undergraduate and graduate students, provides valuable hands-on experience for the next generation of scientists and engineers.

For more information, visit the NASA TechPort entry for this project.

Project Lead: Prof. Mark Moldwin, University of Michigan

Sponsoring Organization: NASA Heliophysics Division's Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (H-TIDeS) program.