Speaker
Description
The Norwegian Radiation Monitor (NORM) is a compact, single-detector particle telescope developed for measuring energetic electrons and protons in space. Its modular architecture allows for deployment across a variety of orbital platforms, including geostationary (GEO), low Earth (LEO), and highly elliptical orbits (HEO).
The first NORM unit is currently flying aboard the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), which follows a three-apogee (TAP), 16-hour highly elliptical orbit. This trajectory enables repeated crossings through the outer radiation belt and the outer edge of the inner belt—making it well-suited for monitoring dynamic space weather conditions.
Importantly, data from NORM are collected after each passage over the Arctic region, ensuring regular and consistent updates of the monitored radiation environment.
NORM provides high-quality, high-resolution flux measurements of solar protons in the 10–100 MeV range and electrons in the 0.4–6 MeV range, including ultra-relativistic populations that are often under-resolved by other instruments. These capabilities make NORM particularly valuable for space weather applications:
- Monitoring dynamic enhancements of relativistic electrons across the
outer belt, a key driver of internal satellite charging events. - Detection and characterization of Solar Proton Events (SPEs) that pose risks to satellites, crewed missions, and polar aviation.
- Continuous validation and refinement of space radiation environment models, supporting improved forecasting and hazard assessments.
- Operational support through frequent data acquisition, enabled by regular Arctic-region overpasses and rapid data downlink.
Validation studies confirm the consistency of NORM’s measurements of trapped relativistic electrons and solar energetic protons, showing strong agreement with ground calibrations, numerical response models, and third-party particle flux datasets.
The ASBM/NORM dataset represents a valuable new asset for the space weather community, providing both scientific-grade measurements and operational utility. Its unique orbital profile, coupled with reliable high-energy electron detection capabilities, establishes NORM as a key contributor to global efforts in space environment monitoring and modeling.
Acknowledgments: This work has been implemented by NORM Exploitation and Utilization System (NEXUS) project supported by the EC-DEFIS/2024/OP/0012 contract between European Commission, Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space and IDEAS-SPARC. The development of NORM has been funded by the Norwegian Space Agency and ESA/ESTEC. The European Commission, the Norwegian Space Agency and Space Norway together own the rights to the data.
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