An Update on the Storm Time O+ Ring Current Imaging Evolution (STORIE) Mission
The Storm Time O+ Ring Current Imaging Evolution (STORIE) mission launching in 2025 will provide continuous remote sensing of the ring current using Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs). The STORIE payload will be hosted on the International Space Station (ISS) where it will image the ring current ENA from the inside out. The mission will address compelling issues of ring current science including issues of buildup and decay, as well as the role of heavy ions. This presentation will overview the mission, and update the community on the current status. We will moreover discuss the science objectives, and elaborate on the advantages of ENA imaging from the unique vantage point of the ISS. We will then present the result of numerical models illustrating the expected ENA signal using coupled global MHD and ring current simulations during a geomagnetic event. Finally, we will discuss the initial approach to inverting the ENA signal to obtain the ring current ion flux.