The Cold Atom Rubidium Interferometer in Orbit for Quantum Accelerometry (CARIOQA) Quantum Pathfinder mission aims at demonstrating a quantum technology-based accelerometer in space as a precursor for a later deployment onboard a satellite gravimetry mission. A dedicated Pathfinder satellite will be launched to demonstrate the technology in space and to raise the technology readiness level of the required systems. A recently concluded Phase A study investigated several additional secondary mission objectives based on Pathfinder satellite data which include gravity field recovery and evaluating accelerometer and orbit data for research on the upper atmosphere. In a currently ongoing Phase B study, these topics will be further investigated. 

Improved knowledge of the upper atmosphere benefits current and future satellite missions for example in mission planning, orbit prediction or improving accelerometer data transplants. In this presentation we focus on this aspect of the CARIOQA Pathfinder mission. We give an overview of current models and their application in our mission studies. Additionally, we present some Pathfinder mission scenarios and our method to evaluate their potential for improving current models in low Earth orbit.

The CARIOQA Quantum Pathfinder mission Phase B study is a joint project by a consortium of industry and university partners, coordinated by the French and German space agencies CNES and DLR under CNES lead. Funded by the European Union (id: 101189541).

M.Schilling(1), L. Biskupek(1), S. Bremer(1) and M. Weigelt(1) for the CARIOQA Consortium

(1) German Aerospace Center DLR, Institute for Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing, Callinstrasse 30b, 30167 Hannover, Germany, (manuel.schilling@dlr.de)