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Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)
Far-infrared astronomical observations are limited by foreground emission originating within the atmosphere or instrument optics. A new observing technique combining several elements can reduce foreground emission by a factor of 1000 or more compared to current state-of-the-art observations from ground-based or airborne platforms. The increased sensitivity improves mapping speed by a factor of 100,000 to allow performance comparable to space mission from low-cost suborbital platforms.
Task includes: Thermal/mechanical design study
Technology is aimed at a future balloon-borne spectrometer operating at wavelengths from 50 to 1000 microns. Reducing foreground emission by factors of 1000 or more reduces the necessary integration time and improves mapping speed by a factor of 100,000.
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