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Microtechnologies for Science Instrumentation Applications 129

answer the fundamental question of how the dynamic magnetotail stores, transports,
and releases matter and energy. An artist’s concept of the mission is shown in
Figure 7.1. Another science mission planned in the near future is the Geospace
Missions Network, which is part of the ‘‘Living with a Star’’ (LWS) Space Weather
Research Network, consisting of constellations of small satellites located in
7
key regions around the Earth to measure downstream effects of the solar wind.
Figure 7.2 shows artist’s concepts of different missions for satellites which carry
magnetometers as well as ion and neutral particle detectors. The required size and
mass restrictions provide a great opportunity for insertion of MEMS instruments.

7.2.1 PLASMA PARTICLE SPECTROMETERS
One of the keys to the solar–terrestrial interaction is the temporal and spatial
distribution of ions, electrons, and neutral particles in the space surrounding Earth
and between the Earth and Sun. An example is the Ion and Neutral Mass Spec-
trometer (INMS) on the Cassini Spacecraft, a direct sensing instrument that ana-
lyzes charged particles (like protons and heavier ions) and neutral particles near
Titan and Saturn to learn more about their atmospheres. The Cassini INMS is
intended also to measure the positive ion and neutral environments of Saturn’s
icy satellites and rings. Another example is the plasma experiment for planetary
exploration (PEPE), which is a space plasma, energy, angle, and mass or charge
spectrometer now taking data aboard the Deep Space 1 (DS1) spacecraft. These

FIGURE 7.1 Artist’s concept of the Magnetospheric Constellation Mission. (Source: NASA,
http://stp.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions/mc/mc.htm.)

© 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC