CANVAS Spacecraft

Map the transmission of VLF energy from the ground into space, injected by both lightning and VLF transmitters.

Scientific investigation mission to measure very low frequency (VLF) wave energy in low-Earth orbit (LEO) originating from lightning and ground-based transmitters. VLF waves play an important role in controlling the evolution of energetic electron distributions in near-Earth space.

Whistler-mode waves propagating in the magnetospheric plasma can induce pitch angle scattering and precipitation of trapped energetic particles, and research has shown that both VLF waves radiated from lightning and ground-based VLF transmitters play a significant role in radiation belt dynamics. However, an accurate quantification of the amount of VLF energy that penetrates from the ground, through the ionosphere, and into the magnetosphere is critical to our understanding of the effects of ground-based electromagnetic sources in the space environment.