Overview

• A peer-reviewed study in Advances in Space Research reports a direct correlation between spacecraft environment discharges and surrounding electron flux.
• Co-located instruments on the geostationary STP-Sat6 measured radio-frequency transients alongside electron flux over more than a year.
• The Los Alamos–built sensors identified over 270 high-rate discharge periods and several hundred episodes of elevated electron activity.
• Roughly 75% of observed events showed electron peaks preceding discharges, indicating low-energy electrons prime surfaces for breakdowns.
• The team proposes real-time monitoring and forecasting based on the precursor signal to reduce risks to satellite electronics, with operational tools still to be developed.