HelioSwarm (MIDEX 11)

HelioSwarm Hub [Univ. of New Hampshire]

HelioSwarm Node [SFL Missions]

HelioSwarm is a nine-spacecraft solar physics mission developed by NASA, consisting of one hub spacecraft built by Northrop Grumman and eight node satellites built by SFL Missions of Canada. The mission will investigate turbulence in the solar wind by making simultaneous multipoint measurements across multiple spatial scales. Launch is planned for 2028.

The mission will study fluctuations in the solar wind magnetic field and plasma to improve understanding of energy transfer within the heliosphere. Operating in a highly elliptical Earth orbit in lunar resonance, the spacecraft will fly in coordinated formations to measure the spatial and temporal structure of solar wind turbulence. The observations will also improve understanding of the interaction of the solar wind with planetary magnetospheres and solar eruptions such as coronal mass ejections.

The hub spacecraft is based on Northrop Grumman's ESPAStar satellite bus and serves as the communications relay for the constellation. It maintains radio links with the eight node spacecraft and relays telemetry, tracking, command, and scientific data through NASA's Deep Space Network. The eight node satellites are based on the DAUNTLESS platform developed by SFL Missions. SFL Missions is responsible for spacecraft design, manufacture, integration of the scientific instruments, spacecraft testing, and integration of the completed node satellites with the hub spacecraft. The scientific payload, developed by the University of New Hampshire in collaboration with the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, the United Kingdom Space Agency, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, consists of a Faraday cup, a fluxgate magnetometer, and a search-coil magnetometer.

The HelioSwarm constellation comprises one hub spacecraft and eight identical node satellites. Each node has a launch mass of approximately 150 kg. The varying separations between the spacecraft, ranging from approximately 10 km to 1,000 km, enable simultaneous measurements of plasma and magnetic field structures over multiple spatial scales. All communications with Earth will be conducted through the hub spacecraft using NASA's Deep Space Network.

HelioSwarm is scheduled for launch in 2029.