Active CryoCubeSat
Project Description
The Active CryoCubeSat will advance active thermal control methods for CubeSats as well as miniature cryogenic coolers to enable electro-optical detector temperatures in the 75-100K ranges. The first stage of the cooling system will be a mechanical pumped fluid loop (MPFL) thermal control system followed by a pulse tube cryogenic cooler. Additive manufacturing will be used to integrate the MPFL within the CubeSat structure by facilitating embedded conformal coolant channels.
More »Anticipated Benefits
These thermal systems will enable a new generation of CubeSat missions that can observe the molecular gasses in the upper atmosphere of the Earth and other planets enabling composition, temperature structures, and energy balance to be determined. Specifically the detection of gases with absorption or emission features in the SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR regions (2 - 18 um) will be enabled.
More »Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State University (USU) | Lead Organization |
Academia
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNH)
|
Logan, Utah |
| California Institute of Technology (CalTech) | Supporting Organization | Academia | Pasadena, California |
| Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) | Supporting Organization | FFRDC/UARC | Pasadena, California |
| Lockheed Martin Inc. | Supporting Organization | Industry | Palo Alto, California |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
California
-
Maryland
-
Utah
