Fluctuation of Satellite Charging in the Low Earth Orbit Regime due to Interaction with Ionospheric Plasma

Abstract

Low Earth-orbiting satellites will always interact with the ionospheric plasma, leading to disruption of satellite operations, depending on the impact of the interaction. Under normal circumstances (without interference), the magnitude of the fluctuation in satellite charging is less than 5V (negative). Any disturbance from charged particles will cause the satellite to experience a more drastic voltage drop of the order of a few hundred volts (negative). The identification of fluctuations in satellite charging is carried out by reviewing the space conditions around the satellite, characterized by several parameters such as density, energy, and plasma temperature, as well as the saturation density of the satellite. To strengthen the analysis, this study deepens the flux changes with an energy of the order of MeV along the satellite orbit. The results of the study show that several low-earth orbit satellites experience a fairly high saturation density, which is correlated with fluctuations in electron flux in some regions traversed by the satellite, such as the polar and the SAA regions. The results confirm that the two regions could be a danger zone for both polar and equatorial satellites.