All 2015 Content
Session
Technical Session III: Next on the Pad
Abstract
PICASSO is a highly ambitious 3U CubeSat science mission with the objective of studying ozone distribution in the stratosphere, characterizing the air temperature profile up to the mesosphere, and measuring the electron density and temperature in the ionosphere. In order to achieve these objectives, PICASSO will fly a payload comprising two main instruments, one being a sweeping Langmuir probe and the other a visible and near-infrared hyper-spectral imager. This paper discusses the science instruments and objectives, and highlights the importance of these data to the science community. In addition, the demands on the spacecraft platform resulting from the payload requirements are explored, demonstrating the spacecraft meets these requirements within the limitations of a 3U CubeSat. PICASSO is an exciting CubeSat mission that has the potential to set a benchmark for performance of tiny spacecraft whilst also proving to the space community in general that CubeSats do offer an opportunity to achieve demanding science objectives at low cost.
Presentation
PICASSO: A State of the Art CubeSat
PICASSO is a highly ambitious 3U CubeSat science mission with the objective of studying ozone distribution in the stratosphere, characterizing the air temperature profile up to the mesosphere, and measuring the electron density and temperature in the ionosphere. In order to achieve these objectives, PICASSO will fly a payload comprising two main instruments, one being a sweeping Langmuir probe and the other a visible and near-infrared hyper-spectral imager. This paper discusses the science instruments and objectives, and highlights the importance of these data to the science community. In addition, the demands on the spacecraft platform resulting from the payload requirements are explored, demonstrating the spacecraft meets these requirements within the limitations of a 3U CubeSat. PICASSO is an exciting CubeSat mission that has the potential to set a benchmark for performance of tiny spacecraft whilst also proving to the space community in general that CubeSats do offer an opportunity to achieve demanding science objectives at low cost.
