NEOMI is a research initiative by the European Space Agency that promotes new scientific ideas for innovative Earth Observation (EO) missions. It aims to strengthen curiosity-driven, future-oriented EO research by supporting a new generation of scientific leaders for space missions. NEOMI helps create the conditions for developing bold new concepts and advancing future state-of-the-art EO satellite missions within ESA.
As part of this initiative, we are developing a satellite mission concept called SEEP (Study of Energetic Electron Precipitation), which is focused on energetic electron precipitation and its effects on the Earth’s atmosphere, including chemical changes that may influence the ozone layer. The concept addresses major open questions about how energetic electron precipitation affects atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, which electron energies have the greatest impact, and how these processes vary under different geomagnetic and solar wind conditions. The aim is to translate these scientific questions into concrete observational requirements for a possible future satellite mission by identifying the most important parameters to measure, evaluating suitable observation techniques, and linking scientific objectives with potential instrumentation.
SEEP is designed to address important observational gaps left by previous and current satellite missions, particularly in the measurement of precipitating electrons across a wide energy range and with high resolution. The mission concept also provides a basis for improving the modeling of electron precipitation and its atmospheric effects, with potential benefits for both space weather research and climate studies. Through this work, the project helps to strengthen the scientific basis for future EO missions and contributes to the development of new observation strategies within ESA.
Project duration: 02/2026 – 07/2027
Funding: European Space Agency (ESA)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Dedong Wang (GFZ)
Coordination: Dr. Danielle Kaori Nakashima (GFZ)
Consortium: University of Bergen: Prof. Dr. Hilde Nesse; Finnish Meteorological Institute: Dr. Jia Jia; Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS): Dr. Miroslav Hanzelka, Dr. Benjamin Grison
Advisors: GFZ: Prof. Dr. Yuri Shprits; IAP CAS: Prof. Dr. Ondrej Santolik