Session
Weekend Session 3: Science/Mission Payloads - Research & Academia I
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
The "Dark matter as a sterile NEutrino Search Satellite" (DarkNESS) is a collaboration between Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), University of Illinois Department of Aerospace Engineering's Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI), and CU Aerospace. Fermilab's project seeks to clarify the X-ray emission spotted by the European Space Agency in galaxy clusters, hypothesized to result from the decay of sterile neutrinos that may be associated with dark matter. Limited by atmospheric interference, ground telescopes cannot discern the weak X-ray signal. A small satellite deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO) outfitted with an advanced Skipper X-ray detector has been proposed to observe the galactic center, potentially detecting the signal. DarkNESS is a challenging mission involving multiple operational constraints. This paper presents the results of the feasibility assessment undertaken for the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) that revealed the thermal, power, and pointing constraints imposed by orbital mechanics on the mission concept of operations, along with their resolutions. The DarkNESS mission’s next milestone is the Critical Design Review scheduled for early 2024.
Preliminary Design of the DarkNESS Observatory for Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Utah State University, Logan, UT
The "Dark matter as a sterile NEutrino Search Satellite" (DarkNESS) is a collaboration between Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), University of Illinois Department of Aerospace Engineering's Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI), and CU Aerospace. Fermilab's project seeks to clarify the X-ray emission spotted by the European Space Agency in galaxy clusters, hypothesized to result from the decay of sterile neutrinos that may be associated with dark matter. Limited by atmospheric interference, ground telescopes cannot discern the weak X-ray signal. A small satellite deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO) outfitted with an advanced Skipper X-ray detector has been proposed to observe the galactic center, potentially detecting the signal. DarkNESS is a challenging mission involving multiple operational constraints. This paper presents the results of the feasibility assessment undertaken for the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) that revealed the thermal, power, and pointing constraints imposed by orbital mechanics on the mission concept of operations, along with their resolutions. The DarkNESS mission’s next milestone is the Critical Design Review scheduled for early 2024.
