Category: Target: Earth

SWARM-EX, Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment, is a large project sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Six Universities in total are working on this project. They include: Georgia Tech, Olin College, Stanford University, University of South Alabama, and Western Michigan University.

Craft Overview:

SWARM-EX’s purpose is to explore the relationship between charged and neutral particles in the thermosphere. This region of the atmosphere is about 90 km above the Earth’s surface. The cubesat will explore the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly as well as the Equatorial Thermosphere Anomaly. This project began on January 1, 2020 and is expected to be completed after four years.

Sources and Additional Information:

1. https://ssdl.gatech.edu/research/projects/swarm-ex-space-weather-atmospheric-reconfigurable-multiscale-experiment
2. https://ae.gatech.edu/news/2019/11/lightsey-and-colorado-colleagues-get-nsf-grant-study-earths-atmosphere
3. https://www.colorado.edu/aerospace/2019/10/16/building-satellite-swarm-investigate-atmospheric-anomaly

Acronym	SWARM-EX
Full Name	Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment
Size	3U
Status	In Progress
Launch Date	TBD
Principal Investigator	Glenn Lightsey

MISSE-15 is an external craft within the MISSE series aimed at testing various materials in the harsh environment of space. The crafts include ram, wake, zenith, and nadir exposures. (These are coordinate axes in the spacecraft-centered coordinate system.)

Craft Overview:

MISSE-15 was sent to the International Space Station (ISS) carrying MISSE sample carriers (MSC’s). These are what house the different material samples which are to be tested in the vacuum of space.

Sources and Additional Information:

1. https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/space/iss-research/misse/#introduction
2. https://www.issnationallab.org/research-on-the-iss/solicitations/rfp2020-3/faq/
3. https://spaceflight101.com/dragon-spx14/misse-ff/

Acronym	MISSE-15
Full Name	Materials International Space Station Experiment – 15
Size	12U
Status	Active
Launch Date	Spring 2021
Principal Investigator	Jud Ready

GT-1 is the first of four in a series of 1U CubeSats to be developed by Georgia Tech annually. GT-1 contains experimental deployable solar panels and a deployable UHF radio antenna.  This mission demonstrates a rapid lifecycle of a university level CubeSat.

The goal of the GT-1 Mission is to produce a working satellite bus as a foundation for experimental technologies that will fly on missions GT-2 through 4.

Craft Overview:

GT-1 is a 1.14 kg 1U CubeSat with experimental deployable solar panels and a deployable UHF radio antenna.

Deployment:

GT-1 will be launching to the ISS on a CRS supply mission in Q3 2021.  From there it will be loaded into a CubeSat orbital deployer and inserted into Low Earth Orbit.

Sources and Additional Information:

1. https://ssdl.gatech.edu/research/projects/gt-1

Related News:

1. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/30k-awarded-in-third-round-of-cube-quest-challenge
2. http://www.arrl.org/news/georgia-institute-of-technology-cubesat-to-feature-amateur-radio-robot-operation

Acronym	GT-1
Size	1U
Status	Integration
Launch Date	Q3 2021
Principal Investigator	Glenn Lightsey