Spacecraft Plasma Interactions Network in Europe (SPINE)
The objective of this network is to share resources and to co-ordinate efforts in all domains related to the interaction of Spacecraft with the space plasma. The creation of this network and its primary objectives have been decided during a Round Table held on 24-2-2000 at ESTEC. SPINE stands for Spacecraft Plasma Interactions Network in […]
The community
The SPINE community is an open, peaceful and non-profits scientific and industrial community, dedicated to the study and the modelling of the interactions between space plasma and space systems, including spacecraft, payloads, scientific instruments, natural space objects. Spacecraft-plasma interactions include: spacecraft charging, in surface (i.e. surface charging) the computation of the electrostatic sheath structures and […]
Publications and scientific communications
Developed tools and SPINE related activities have led to numerous scientific publications and communications.
- Prediction of Adverse effects of Geomagnetic storms and Energetic Radiation (PAGER) project
Y. Y. Shprits, T. Arber, M. Liemohn, O. Santolík, K. Bennett, S. Bianco, M. Burns, A. Castillo, M. G. Peñaranda, B. Haas, J. Himmelsbach, A. Smirnov, D. Wang, K.-Y. Ke, B. Tezenas du Montcel, A. Trouche, J. Forest, M. Wutzig, I. Zhelavskaya, A. Saikin, A. Drozdov, J. Amaya, A. Glover, N. B. Crosby, D. Pitchford, A. Jordan, B. van der Holst, H. J. Singer, I. Kolmašová, U. Taubenschuss, et al., Prediction of Adverse effects of Geomagnetic storms and Energetic Radiation (PAGER) project, Adv. Space Res-series., vol. 77, no. 12, pp. 12 321–12 352, 2026. DOI:
10.1016/j.asr.2026.03.090 - Investigation of charging mechanisms in PEO with SPIS simulation tool
J. Forest, B. Tezenas du Montcel, B. Jeanty-Ruard, A. Trouche, A. Hilgers, and D. Cooke, Investigation of charging mechanisms in PEO with SPIS simulation tool, Trans. Plasma Sci., vol. PP, no. 99, pp. 1–1, 2026. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2026.3681598
- From space weather to spacecraft anomalies: Validating PAGER’s internal charging models in GEO
B. Tezenas du Montcel, A. M. Castillo Tibocha, D. Pitchford, A. Trouche, B. Jeanty-Ruard, D. Wang, J. Forest, and Y. Y. Shprits, From space weather to spacecraft anomalies: Validating PAGER’s internal charging models in GEO, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci., vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 866–875, 2026. DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2026.3658804
- Presentation and validation of the internal charging risk forecast in the PAGER framework
B. Tezenas du Montcel, A. Trouche, I. Michaelis, B. Jeanty-Ruard, M. Wutzig, J. Forest, and Y. Y. Shprits, Presentation and validation of the internal charging risk forecast in the PAGER framework, Adv. Space Res., vol. 72, no. 9, pp. 3666–3676, 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2023.07.047
News and events
The SPINE community organises regularly meetings and events. SPINE meetings are open to all participants and, in most of the cases, without registration fee.
- 33rd SPINE AnnouncementDear Colleagues and Friends of the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Network in Europe ! We are happy to announce that the 33rd SPINE workshop, organised by ESA, will take place September 3-4 at ESA/ESTEC in The Netherlands. Registration to the workshop… Read more: 33rd SPINE Announcement
- New release candidate version 6.2.5 for SPISA new SPIS release candidate version for surface charging and electrical propulsion is available. You can find below the improvements since the last release candidate version 6.2.4. Changelog Changed Fixed Download You can download the release candidate through the usual… Read more: New release candidate version 6.2.5 for SPIS
- 32nd SPINE meeting in Madrid 8th – 10th October 2025Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Network in Europe ! We are happy to announce that the 32nd SPINE workshop will take place from October 8th until October 10th 2025 at University Carlos Madrid III venue in… Read more: 32nd SPINE meeting in Madrid 8th – 10th October 2025
SPIS
SPIS, for Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software, is a rich and advanced 3D modelling tool for the spacecraft-plasma interactions, able to model a large set of phenomenon relative to spacecraft charging. SPIS includes an advanced 3D electrostatic plasma solver based on a unstructured mesh and able to dynamically model detailed sheath structures around complex and realistic […]
Other tools and data
- PicUp3D is a simple, academic and experimental 3D structured plasma codes, for PIC model educational applications.
- Freja Charging Database
- Documentations and SCTC proceedings gathers a large set of scientific publications and documents related to the plasma-space systems interaction.