Space Environment Measurements and Applications on the Tianhe Core Module of China Space Station

Tianhe Core Module of China Space Station (CSS) equips a set of instruments consisting of a Particle Fluxes and Solar Activity Detector (PFSAD) and two Atmospheric Density Multi-directional Detectors (ADMDs). The PFSAD is to measure X-rays from the Sun and energetic particles in the low-latitude and low altitude regions, including electrons, protons, and helium ions. The ADMDs are to measure thermospheric atmospheric density. The instruments provide real-time data of the orbital space environment, including solar flares, energetic particle variation and thermospheric density enhancement. All the data contribute to the CSS space weather service for mission control and astronaut’s safety. The paper gives preliminary analyses of the space environment measurements from the PFSAD and the ADMDs. By further analysis, the 1024-channel fine spectra of the solar X-ray can be used to study the mechanism of solar flares and their impacts on the Earth’s atmosphere. Data accumulation will be helpful for analyzing mid-term and long-term variations of the South Atlantic Anomaly and atmosphere density. Furthermore, the data are useful to calibrate previous empirical models and establish new models to study the space environment.