SelenITA: A Dual-Spacecraft Lunar Cubesat Mission to Characterize the Near-Surface Electromagnetic Plasma Environment

SelenITA is an international interdisciplinary mission consisting of two CubeSats that will provide the first multi-point measurement in a sustained low lunar orbit. This mission will advance the understanding of spatiotemporal differentiation of the electromagnetic space environment at the Moon in support of Artemis crew and the geosciences. The mission science objectives are to: (1) further constrain the origins of crustal magnetic fields and their applications; (2) determine the nature of plasma interactions with crustal magnetic fields; (3) characterize plasma waves and turbulence at the Moon; (4) characterize the lunar surface potential in all plasma environments; (5) constrain the composition, thermal state, and structure of the lunar upper mantle and crust; (6) characterize the ionizing radiation in lunar orbit; (7) determine the density of the dust exosphere as a function of latitude, longitude, and altitude, including the lunar polar space environment. The measurement requirements include: 3-component vector magnetic field, plasma distribution (flux, energy, density, temperature), energetic particles (protons, electrons, gamma rays), and dust. SelenITA builds on a rich history of electromagnetic plasma observations of the near lunar surface and space environment, and it answers high level science questions with state of the art instruments in a small package.