FORESAIL is a CubeSat program conducted by Aalto University in the frame of the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space.

The FORESAIL program comprises three CubeSats, which are to be launched in the years 2020 to 2025 and shall demonstrate high-quality scientific space observations together with safe de-orbiting to avoid the generation of space debris.

FORESAIL-2, as the second mission in this program, is planned for a launch into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in 2025. The technology demonstration goal of this mission is to survive the harsh radiation of the Van Allen belt using low cost components and a fault-tolerant software approach. In addition, a Coulomb drag experiment shall demonstrate safe de-orbiting from orbits with high apogee.

The scientific goal of this mission is to characterize the variability of ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves in the inner magnetosphere and their role in energizing particles. This goal will be achieved using a Relativistic Electron and Proton Experiment (REPE) and a magnetic field experiment. In cooperation with the Institute of Electronics of Graz University of Technology, IWF will build a magnetometer, based on the newly developed Magnetometer-Frontend-ASIC (Next Generation MFA). The Graz contribution is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) in the frame of the Austrian Space Applications Programme (ASAP).