Overview
- NASA announced June 18 that the Dynamic Atmosphere‑Ionosphere Explorer (DAPHNE) will enter Phase B, shifting the project from concept study to detailed design and mission operations planning.
- The mission will use two identical satellites to make coordinated, multi‑point measurements of neutral winds, temperature and composition in the thermosphere to close a gap in understanding how the lower atmosphere affects space weather.
- NASA says DAPHNE is aimed at improving predictions that affect GPS, low‑Earth‑orbit satellites and astronaut safety, and the project must pass a formal confirmation review in 2027 before it is approved to proceed.
- NASA sets a program cost cap of $250 million (FY2023 dollars) excluding launch for DYNAMIC missions; SpaceNews reports early implementation details that include instruments called MIGHTI, FUVI and PLATO and partners such as BAE Systems and the Naval Research Laboratory.
- DAPHNE traces to a 2013 heliophysics decadal survey recommendation and is funded and overseen by the Solar Terrestrial Probes program at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, with Aimee Merkel of LASP as principal investigator and a not‑earlier‑than‑2029 launch target if confirmed.