Micro instrumentation for space

小卫星已经成为成功开发学术、商业和政府空间项目的入门级平台。这一研究方案的目标是通过开发利用空间遥感优势的微型仪器来扩大小空间和近空间平台的能力。我们的计划将建立在我们现有空间硬件开发计划的成功基础上。 近红外区域提供了一个窗口，可以在全球范围内遥感气候、地质和地理。该实验室设计并运行了一台微型仪器，该仪器以3赫兹的频率收集地球光谱，其足迹距离750公里的近地轨道约为1.5公里。光谱包含对这一重要能量交换区域的地球反射的辐射测量，可对其进行分析，以探测和量化气溶胶、云、海岸线、土壤水分含量和大气成分。这项研究将把我们的短波红外(SWIR)传感器工作扩展到开发仪器，以测量地球的辐射预算，作为气候变化的指标。我们将通过开发针对特定物种的仪器和扩大光谱仪的灵敏度范围来提高光谱吞吐量。同时，该实验室还将开发一个硬件计划，使新的电磁传感仪器小型化，以实现包括节能和电网完整性在内的进一步目标。我们的研究将集中在微型仪器的开发上，这种仪器放置在地球和太阳之间的拉格朗日点附近的轨道上，可以直接检测电磁干扰，给出几分钟的警报时间来隔离配电系统。我们将开发一种适用于可靠识别导致电力中断的太阳事件的空间传感器，并对其性能进行表征，该传感器还可用于通过无人机检查来定位故障传输部件。我们还将研究SWIR技术在检测故障电力线元件方面的应用。 微型空间传感器的发展可以显著提高我们监测天气和气候的能力。与大型仪器相比，小型仪器可以更多地部署在空间中，从而增加了时间和空间的复盖面。对电网和空间天气的空间和近空间监测提供了一种手段，既能提高供电的稳定性，又能在配电方面获得显著的经济效益。这项研究将聘请HQP，包括三名硕士和三名博士生，他们各自领导一个主要的研究目标。

Small satellites have become proven entry-level platforms for the development of successful academic, commercial and governmental space programs. The objective of this research program is to expand the capabilities of small space and near-space platforms through the development of miniaturized instrumentation that leverages the advantages of remote sensing from space. Our program will build on the success of our existing space hardware development programs. The NIR region offers a window to remotely sense climatology, geology and geography on a global scale. The laboratory designed and now operates a miniaturized instrument that collects Earth spectra at 3 Hz and with a footprint equating to approximately 1.5 km from a Low Earth Orbit of 750 km. The spectra contain radiometric measurements of Earth reflection in this important energy-exchange region that may be analyzed to detect and quantify aerosols, clouds, coastlines, soil moisture content and atmospheric composition. This research will extend our Shortwave Infra Red (SWIR) sensor work to the development of instrumentation to measure the Earth’s radiation budget as an indicator for climate change. We will enhance spectral throughput by developing instrumentation targeted at specific species and by extending the sensitivity range of the spectrometer. In tandem, the laboratory will also develop a hardware program to miniaturize new electromagnetic sensing instrumentation to further objectives including power conservation and power grid integrity. Our research will focus on the development of micro-instrumentation that, placed in an orbit about the Lagrangian point between the Earth and Sun, can provide direct detection of electromagnetic disturbances giving minutes of warning time to isolate distribution systems. We will develop and characterize the performance of a space sensor suitable for the reliable identification of solar events that cause power disruption and that may also be applied to localize faulty transmission components though UAV inspection. We will also investigate the application of SWIR technology to the detection of faulty power-line components. The development of miniaturized space sensors can enhance significantly our ability to monitor weather and climate. Miniaturized instrumentation may be deployed in space more numerously than larger instrumentation increasing temporal and spatial coverage. Space and near-space monitoring of power grids and space weather provides a means both to improve the stability of supply and to reap significant economic efficiencies in power distribution. The research will employ HQP including three masters and three doctoral candidates who will each lead a major research objective.