AIR DENSITY MODELS DERIVED FROMMULTI-SATELLITE DRAG OBSERVATIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Satellite accelerometers, such as those carried on the CHAMP and GRACE satellites, can provide valuable data for improving our knowledge of thermosphere den-sity and winds. These data are now available over a wide range of the defining conditions, including more than half a solar cycle. Continuity and enhancement of this multi-satellite accelerometer data set will be provided by ESA’s Swarm mission. This paper presents an overview of a 1.5-year ESA-funded study, covering the process-ing steps required for accurately converting accelerome-ter data into density and wind data, and the subsequent use of this data for improving our understanding of the thermosphere. The study concludes with recommenda-tions for the design of future thermosphere missions and for continued research using data from the current and planned missions