[U-08] Large-scale Projects in Earth and Planetary Science

[U08-02] Next Space Exploration Mission for the Space-Earth Coupling System Research: FACTORS

*Masafumi Hirahara¹, Yoshifumi Saito², Hirotsugu Kojima³, Kazushi Asamura², Takeshi Sakanoi⁴, Yoshizumi Miyoshi¹, Naritoshi Kitamura⁵, Masatoshi Yamauchi⁶ (1.ISEE, Nagoya Univ., 2.ISAS, JAXA, 3.RISH, Kyoto Univ., 4.Graduate School of Science, Tohoku Univ., 5.Graduate School of Science, Univ. Tokyo, 6.IRF)

Keywords:Space Exploration Mission, Space-Earth Coupling System, Space Plasma, Atmospheric Outflow, Energy and Particle Transport, Wave-Particle Interaction

After the successful launch and the recent observational achievements of the ERG(Arase) satellite, we have been leading the next space exploration mission in the Japanese space physics research. In the ERG mission, we have focused on the "universe-wide" space plasma mechanisms and condition causing high-energy particle accelerations through the wave-particle interaction analyses and organized the unique triangle-type research system integrating the satellite and ground-based observations and the data analyses/modelings/simulations. Our next exploration target is the space-Earth connections/processes/mechanisms responsible for the formation and coupling of the terrestrial magnetosphere/ionosphere/thermosphere and the acceleration and transportation of the space/atmospheric plasmas. The elementary physical dominating these phenomena could be unveiled only based on the demonstrative in-situ plasma observations using the cutting-edge measurement techniques and also the remote-sensing observations of the atmospheric emissions like auroras. We have already initiated a novel type of space exploration mission, FACTORS, standing for the exploration mission for frontiers of Formation, Acceleration, Coupling, and Transport mechanisms Observed by outer space Research System. The mission definition team and the experimental development team of FACTORS are composed of the representative researchers conducting most of the past/on-going space missions successfully. In this presentation, we report the current status and plan of a multi-point space plasma exploration mission for integrated in-situ and remote-sensing satellite observations in the space-Earth coupling system. This mission is also based on the international collaboration by Japanese FACTORS mission consisting of two identical "compact" satellites and the Swedish InnoSat program of a micro satellite in order to realize the science-oriented formation flight configuration in the space near the Earth. Our scientific goal of the most significance is the demonstrative and quantitative investigations on the plasma acceleration/transport mechanisms and the electromagnetic coupling processes emerging in the terrestrial polar magnetosphere and ionosphere.