Sector: Astrophisics/Space weather 

Number of satellites: 1

Form factor: 12 U

Sun CubE One (SEE) is a 12U CubeSat designed to observe solar emissions in the ultraviolet (UV), soft X-ray, and Gamma-ray bands. Orbiting at an altitude of 530 km in a dawn-dusk, sun-synchronous orbit, SEE will contribute to our understanding of solar activity, Sun-Earth connections, space weather, and space security. SEE's primary goals are to quantify solar flare emissions (soft X-ray to Gamma-ray) and track solar activity through observations of the Sun in the Mg II doublet (280 nm). Soft-X and Gamma flows will be acquired with unprecedented temporal resolution and with a multi-wavelength approach thanks to the use of silicon-photomultiplier detectors. Flare spectra will be explored from keV to MeV energies with a nominal rate up to 10 kHz and with single photon detection capability. The UV telescope will allow observation of UV emission from the solar disk both during part of the solar cycle and during flares. The UV emission at 280 nm is commonly used as a proxy for solar magnetic activity in the Sun-as-a-star paradigm and has relevance for the study of the thermosphere, ionosphere and stratospheric ozone. SEE data will be ancillary to radiative and particle data from space and terrestrial instruments (e.g., Solar Orbiter, CSES, GOES, DKIST, TSST) and geomagnetic data in a multi-messenger approach.

Proposing team: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata" (Prime), INFN-Structure of Rome Tor Vergata, Sapienza-School of Aerospace Engineering, ARGOTEC S.r.l., NEXT Ingegneria dei Sistemi S.p.A., Optec S.p.A.