[P-EM12] Coupling Processes in the Atmosphere-Ionosphere System

[PEM12-28] ROKITS: Imaging the Aurora and Airglow from Space

★Invited Papers

*Woo Kyoung Lee^1,2, Hyosub Kil^1,3, Young-Sil Kwak^1,2 (1.Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 2.University of Science and Technology, 3.Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)

Keywords:ROKITS, aurora, plasma bubble, atmospheric gravity waves

The Republic of Korea Imaging Test System (ROKITS), a wide-field auroral and airglow imager onboard the Korean satellite CAS500-3, is scheduled for launch in November 2025. This imager will operate in a noon-midnight sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 600 km. ROKITS features three lens assemblies and an onboard computer, enabling it to capture auroral and airglow images in two spectral bands (OI 557.7 nm and OI 630.0 nm) through a narrow bandpass filter (3 nm FWHM), as well as visible images without a filter. Its 90° field of view allows ROKITS to image a swath approximately 700 km wide. The main scientific objective of ROKITS is to identify the boundaries of the auroral oval and investigate the diverse shapes of auroras. In addition to auroral studies, ROKITS' OI 557.7 nm emission data will aid in research on atmospheric gravity waves, their role in generating plasma bubbles, and the influence of traveling ionospheric disturbances in low- and mid-latitude regions. This approach offers valuable insights into the complex interactions between atmospheric phenomena and space weather.