Space Instrumentation Payloads for MicroSatellite Projects

Lead Investigator: David M. Klumpar, Montana State University

The Space Science and Engineering Laboratory (SSEL) at Montana State University (MSU) has transitioned from a paper concept to an operating entity.  An important near-term objective of the proposed program is to build a capability at MSU, to conceive, design, build, and operate sounding rocket payloads and small satellites to carry instrumentation into near-earth space and to retrieve, analyze, interpret, and publish the results of these investigations in the professional literature.  A cornerstone of our program is to conduct meaningful scientific research on and within the space environment.  Since its establishment in November, 2000, we have been executing to our plan to develop an experimental space physics capability at MSU.  Students are actively participating in the design, fabrication, and testing of scientifically motivated space payloads through the Montana Earth Orbiting Pico Explorer (MEROPE) project, and through the Multi Order Slitless EUV Spectrometer (MOSES) sounding rocket experiment.  The funding from this proposal will support the further development of space science research payloads for a follow-on student satellite.  During the year covered under this request our student team will develop potential  scientific mission objectives for our second student pico-satellite project.  They will explore candidate missions, evaluating them for scientific merit, likelihood of success, consistency with our technical capabilities, suitability to the pico-satellite platform, and cost.  A candidate payload will be selected, and we will carry out initial conceptual design, and will take the first steps to qualify an instrument by doing preliminary instrument development at the prototyping level.

 

Mail:	David Klumpar	E-mail:	klumpar@physics.montana.edu
	Department of Physics	Phone:	(406) 994-6169
	Montana State University	FAX:	(406) 994-4452
	Bozeman, MT 59717-3840	Website:	Space Science and Engineering Laboratory

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