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Completed TRL 2 (started at 1, targeting 2)
The Fourier Transform Spectrometer project demonstrates the efficacy of a miniaturized spectrometer for flight applications.
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light to identify materials in the electromagnetic spectrum. The variable measured is usually the light's intensity. The independent variable is usually the wavelength of the light or a unit directly proportional to the photon energy, such as wavenumber or electron volts. A spectrometer is used in spectroscopy for producing spectral lines and measuring their wavelengths and intensities from gamma rays and X-rays into the far infrared. The challenge addressed by this project is how to minimize the size of a spectrometer to address mass and weight issues for space flight projects. The results of this project will be the basis for a new spectrometer design.
Spectrometer systems for future planetary missions.
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