DMSP F17 SSIES: Satellite Thermal Plasma Measurements, 1-Second Resolution

SSIES instruments from the University of Texas at Dallas provide 1-second resolution measurements of ions and electrons from DMSP satellites. The dataset includes data from a Retarding Potential Analyzer, Ion Drift meter, scintillation meter, and Langmuir probe. It is produced by NASA and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling ionospheric density and temperature based on the Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) data
• Analyzing ion drift velocities and electric fields based on the Ion Drift meter (IDM) measurements
• Studying plasma irregularities and scintillation based on the scintillation meter readings
• Characterizing electron density and temperature based on the Langmuir probe data

Strengths

• Data originates from a suite of four specialized instruments (RPA, IDM, scintillation meter, Langmuir probe)
• Measurements are provided at a high 1-second temporal resolution
• Dataset is maintained by NASA, an authoritative space agency

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the SSIES instrument suite on the DMSP F17 satellite.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 07:21:59.019268; freshness should be verified

Geography

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