Ionospheric Observations from the ISS: Overcoming Noise Challenges in Signal Extraction

Music City Center 

The Electric Propulsion Electrostatic Analyzer Experiment (ÈPÈE) is a compact ion energy bandpass filter deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2023 and providing continuous measurements through April 2024. This period coincides with the Solar Cycle 25 maximum, capturing unique observations of solar activity extremes in the mid- to low-latitude regions of the topside ionosphere. Derived plasma parameters from in-situ measurements enhance understanding of local space weather and its impact on satellite navigation, communication, and GPS accuracy. We present a statistical pipeline for processing ÈPÈE data, addressing challenges such as instrument noise floor, temporal data density, and signal extraction. Unlike traditional methods that discard data due to noise, our approach learns a baseline noise and fits the surface using a scaled Vecchia Gaussian Process, enabling recovery of previously discarded values and creating possibilities for noise-assisted ionospheric monitoring.

signal processing

Gaussian Processes

background estimation

time series

astrophysics

Ionospheric science 

Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences