Session

Weekend Session 3: Science/Mission Payloads - Research & Academia I

Location

Utah State University, Logan, UT

Abstract

WindCube is a 6U CubeSat mission selected for implementation through NASA’s HFORT program. Starting in 2022 and following ~36 months of development, integration and testing, the spacecraft will operate for ~12 months in low earth orbit to study the influence of thermospheric winds on the earth’s ionosphere. Its scientific payload is a limb viewing Fabry Pérot Interferometer (étalon) specially designed to fit into a 10cm x 10cm cross-sectional assembly. WindCube will make global maps of wind speed derived from the doppler shifted emission of the 630.0nm oxygen line (1D > 3P), at altitudes near 250km. Projected performance includes wind speed retrievals every 10 seconds with an accuracy of 5m/s, a vertical resolution of 63km, and a horizontal resolution of 100km. We present an overview of the mission design and observation plan for WindCube as well as a top-level description of the payload design.

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Aug 6th, 3:15 PM

WindCube: A CubeSat Thermospheric Wind Instrument Utilizing Fabry-Pérot Interferometry

Utah State University, Logan, UT

WindCube is a 6U CubeSat mission selected for implementation through NASA’s HFORT program. Starting in 2022 and following ~36 months of development, integration and testing, the spacecraft will operate for ~12 months in low earth orbit to study the influence of thermospheric winds on the earth’s ionosphere. Its scientific payload is a limb viewing Fabry Pérot Interferometer (étalon) specially designed to fit into a 10cm x 10cm cross-sectional assembly. WindCube will make global maps of wind speed derived from the doppler shifted emission of the 630.0nm oxygen line (1D > 3P), at altitudes near 250km. Projected performance includes wind speed retrievals every 10 seconds with an accuracy of 5m/s, a vertical resolution of 63km, and a horizontal resolution of 100km. We present an overview of the mission design and observation plan for WindCube as well as a top-level description of the payload design.