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Completed TRL 6 (started at 4, targeting 6)
The ComPair balloon instrument is currently funded through the Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) program and is scheduled for an engineering demonstration flight in Fall 2023. The goal of this IRAD is to provide thermal modeling support for the payload to ensure the successful operation of the instrument at balloon altitudes. ComPair is a prototype instrument that acts as a proof of concept for future missions and this effort will help support the ComPair balloon team and enable the demonstration flight.
In the near term, the success of the ComPair balloon flight will be the culmination of >5 years of work by the ComPair team at GSFC. The Goddard Astroparticle Physics Laboratory (661) is at the forefront of defining next-generation gamma-ray telescopes and the success of the ComPair balloon flight will demonstrate the team’s experience. The ComPair team is largely composed of early career members, with many students and postdocs funded, and it is expected that the team will propose a follow-on APRA in FY24 to improve upon the ComPair instrument design. In the longer term, this experience can provide a larger benefit to the center through the team's work towards future large-scale missions that are enabled through the ComPair balloon program.
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