The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL’s) newest sensor experiment deployed from the International Space Station on December 29, 2022, hosted on NASA’s six-unit cube satellite named petitSat, or Plasma Enhancements in the Ionosphere-Thermosphere Satellite. The CubeSat’s mission is to study a layer in Earth’s upper atmosphere known as the ionosphere to provide insight into space weather disturbances and their impact on navigation and communication systems.
![GMT363_EHDC2 Files_1158 Courtesy Photo](https://dsiac.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/230109-F-F3963-1011-1024x575-panorama-9319379943ed40315c4e6844af582412-606cdedb7e0c3.jpg)
Courtesy Photo
February 7, 2023 | Originally published by KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. on February 1, 2023