The objective of the RBSP mission is to understand the fundamental physics underlying the source, loss, and transport processes that govern the radiation belts, the two regions encircling the Earth, where high energy particles are trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field. Observations from two spacecraft will be used to develop empirical and physics-based models for the radiation belts. The empirical models will be used to design improved radiation-hardened spacecraft. The physics-based models will be used by forecasters to predict geomagnetic storms and alert both astronauts and spacecraft operators to potential hazards. RBSP is part of NASA‘s Living With a Star Program. The spacecraft are scheduled to launch in 2011. Aerojet will provide two monopropellant hydrazine propulsion systems, one for each spacecraft. The two spacecraft must make identical measurements in order to observe changes in the radiation belts through both space and time. Each satellite will carry five science investigations to observe the charged particles that constitute Earth’s radiation belts over the full energy range from 1 eV to more than 10 MeV (including composition); the plasma waves which energize them; the electric fields that transport them and the magnetic fields that guide their motion.
