NASA Selects DAPHNE Mission to Study Space Weather and Atmospheric Dynamics

NASA has selected the DAPHNE (Dynamic Atmosphere-Ionosphere Explorer) mission to investigate how space weather and Earth's atmospheric dynamics influence the upper atmosphere and impact critical technologies and human spaceflight. The mission will advance into Phase B of development, which encompasses planning and design for flight and mission operations.

DAPhNE will deploy two identical twin satellites to measure neutral winds, temperature, and composition in the thermosphere—the thin shell where Earth's neutral atmosphere transitions into the ionized plasma of space. By studying how changes in Earth's lower atmosphere influence the upper atmosphere where space weather is manifested, the mission will provide coordinated, multi-point measurements to improve predictive capabilities for space weather effects. This data is essential for protecting GPS systems, low Earth orbit satellites, and astronauts operating in space.

"NASA is advancing the United States' leadership as a space weather-ready nation, and by providing new insights into Earth's atmosphere we can better predict and prepare for impacts in our daily lives on Earth and in space," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Fox emphasized that as NASA prepares to send astronauts to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, DAPHNE will contribute critical data to help mission planners predict and mitigate space weather effects.

The mission is led by Aimee Merkel from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. DAPHNE was proposed in response to NASA's DYNAMIC (Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling) mission announcement of opportunity, with funding and oversight provided by the Solar Terrestrial Probes program at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The mission will undergo a confirmation review in 2027 to assess progress and funding availability. If confirmed, the estimated total cost, excluding launch expenses, will not exceed $250 million in fiscal year 2023 dollars, with a planned launch date no earlier than 2029.