TARANIS

Description / Background

Taranis (Tool for the Analysis of RAdiation from lightNIng and Sprites)

Taranis (Tool for the Analysis of RAdiation from lightNIng and Sprites) is a CNES low altitude satellite that was launched in November 2020 as an auxiliary passenger on a Vega rocket from the Guyana Space Center in Kourou. The launch was unsuccessful. TARANIS-2 is under discussion.

The TARANIS project is dedicated to the study of the generation mechanisms of electric discharges, (Transient Luminous Event, TLE and Transient Gamma flash, TGF), above storms in the Earth’s atmosphere, to the study of associated energy phenomena (gamma emissions, photons, electromagnetic waves, energetic electrons) and to the study of the impact of these phenomena on the atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere system.

Scientific Objectives

These activities will take place in the framework of the Taranis Satellite Mission Centre (CMST) which will be hosted by LPC2E and which will ensure the dissemination of TARANIS data to the whole scientific community. The data will be rapidly made public (one year after the beginning of the operational phase). The data will be progressively transferred to the CDPP (Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas) for their preservation and the continuation of their availability to the scientific community after the end of the TARANIS mission.

Involvement of IRAP

IRAP has the scientific responsibility for the IDEE instrument and the Xgre instrument.

Partners

TARANIS

is a CNES satellite project involving a large scientific and technical community in France (5 CNRS laboratories, CEA, CNES) and abroad (USA, Czech Republic, Poland).
The project has a strong international visibility.