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Microcalorimeters for Solar Observations
Completed
TRL 3 (started at 1, targeting 3)
Description
The technology is especially applicable to sounding rocket missions and maps directly to the proposed Solar Energetic Particle Acceleration and Transport and Heliospheric Magnetics missions. It also is suitable for Japan's future 'Solar C' mission. During the year, the team wrote five white papers about the technology's application and submitted them to support the Heliophysics Decadal Survey. In addition, the group developed three detailed concept missions featuring microcalorimeters and presented those as well to the Decadal panel.
Benefits
With the funding, the team designed, fabricated, and tested large-format closed-packed arrays of TES microcalorimeters on a 75-micron pitch \xd1 the first-ever test of a small TES pixel.
Details
| Program | Center Innovation Fund: GSFC CIF (GSFC CIF) |
| Lead organization | Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD |
| Start date | 2011-10-01 |
| End date | 2012-09-01 |
Project contacts
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How to get involved
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.
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