# An Overview of CubeSat Missions and Applications
## 5 CubeSats as Astronomical Exploration and Research Enabling Platforms
### Particle Detectors  
Particle detectors aboard CubeSats are small instruments designed to measure energetic particles in space, such as protons, electrons, and cosmic rays. These detectors are crucial for the research of space weather, radiation environments, and cosmic occurrences. By integrating particle detectors inside CubeSats, scientists may study particles from the Sun or deep space, keep an eye on space weather for potential disruptions to Earth-based systems, and offer crucial information on how radiation impacts satellite electronics. These detectors, which are often smaller versions of larger apparatuses, identify particles based on their charge and energy using solid-state detectors, scintillators, or Cherenkov detectors. CubeSats with particle detectors are inexpensive and may be set up in constellations to gradually gather larger amounts of spatial data. One notable mission is NASA's CubeSat for Solar Particles (CuSP) mission [226]. The goal of this mission was to better understand how solar activities affect the near-Earth environment by studying solar energetic particles (SEPs) and their impact on space weather. NASA deployed the 6U CuSP CubeSat, a \"space weather station,\" on the Artemis I mission in 2022 to detect and analyze high-energy particles released by the Sun during solar flares and coronal mass ejections. CuSP has a magnetometer and a solar energetic particle spectrometer to monitor the magnetic fields and particle movement around it. Since SEPs may impact GPS signals, communication systems, and the condition of satellites in orbit, space weather forecasting relies on this information. Once again, CuSP shows how small, affordable CubeSats can be used to collect important scientific data on solar activity. This helps build a network of space weather monitors that may eventually give scientists and satellite operators real-time alerts and forecasts. Another mission that used particle detectors is ESRA [227]. The ESRA (Energetic particle Stream and Radiation Analyzer) CubeSat project was developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and its launch is expected to take place in 2025. The main goal of this mission is to track and evaluate radiation and high-energy particles in Earth's near-space environment to improve our understanding of space weather and how it affects satellite operations. An essential feature of this mission is the particle detector, which is designed  
Figure 13: (**a**) This photo, taken from the International Space Station, shows HaloSat’s deployment. Image credit: NASA [224]. (**b**) BurstCube Interior. Image credit: NASA/Jeanette Kazmierczak [225].  
specifically to study energetic particles like protons and electrons that are prevalent in the Earth's magnetosphere and radiation belts. The detectors are designed to collect real-time data on particle movement and energy levels, as well as on how radiation levels change with solar activity and how these particles interact with and affect the magnetosphere. This information is crucial for assessing potential dangers to satellites, since high-energy particles can gradually damage spacecraft materials and interfere with electronic systems.