Recent Activities in Space Environment Engineerings in Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has measured space environment and its effects on spacecraft and astronaut since 1987. At present, we have operated space environment monitors onboard one GEO spacecraft, one QZO spacecraft, and two LEO spacecrafts. The obtained space environment data has been gathered into the Space Environment and Effects System database (SEES, http://sees.tksc.jaxa.jp/). In this presentation, measurement result of space environment in low earth orbit obtained by the Daichi satellite from 2006 through 2011 is reported as well as recent activities in space environment engineerings in JAXA. The Technical Data Acquisition Equipment (TEDA) on board the Daichi satellite (Advanced Land Observing Satellite: ALOS) had been operated in low earth orbit at 700 km altitude with 98 degree inclination from February 2006 until April 2011. The TEDA consists of the Light Particle Telescope and the Heavy Ion Telescope. The operation period of the Daichi satellite was through the solar-activity minimum period. The space radiation environment around the Daichi satellite had been almost stable. However, large solar flares followed by CMEs sometimes disturbed the space radiation environment in the orbit of the Daichi satellite. In addition, high speed solar wind often flowed and modulated the electron flux in the horn region. On the other hand, a little variation was seen in the SAA region.