The DSX Mission – Preliminary Results and Analysis

Despite many theoretical analyses over the years, the efficiency of VLF radiation from a dipole antenna immersed in a magnetoplasma is poorly understood and not well characterized. This renders the potential effectiveness of “radiation belt remediation” and other aspects of active control highly uncertain. To address this with an “active experiment,” the US Air Force launched and operated the Demonstrations and Science Experiment (DSX) satellite from August 2019 to May 2021, completing over 3,000 orbits lying mostly within the plasmasphere (perigee of 6000 km, apogee of 12000 km, 42 degree inclination) [1]. Its primary focus was attempting active transmission of VLF waves, from a 80-meter (tip-to-tip) dipole antenna. Over 1300 transmissions were attempted, resulting in 78 return signals being received [2], as well as one documented instance of remote reception by the Arase satellite [3, 4].