The Imaging Microburst Precipitation with Atmospheric X-ray Emissions (IMPAX) mission aims to quantify the role of electron microbursts — highly localized bursts of electrons precipitating into the Earth's atmosphere — in the depletion of the outer radiation belt during geomagnetic storms. By determining the energy distribution and generation location of these microbursts, scientists can calculate how quickly they deplete the radiation belt and establish their relative importance compared to other loss mechanisms. To achieve this, IMPAX will use a novel approach combining ultra-high-resolution direct electron measurements with the first-ever low-Earth-orbit (LEO) imaging of bremsstrahlung X-rays, allowing for unprecedented precision in analyzing these energetic events.
IMPAX hosts two instruments.
- I-FIRE
- I-AXIS
IMPAX is scheduled to launch no earlier than 2027.
Data will be hosted on the NASA SPDF.
This project would like to acknowledge the following projects
