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Nitric oxide Infrared Cooling Emissions CubeSat - NICEcube
Completed
TRL 3 (started at 1, targeting 3)
Description
Design a low-cost, cube-sat class infrared radiometer to observe and provide real-time upper atmosphere radiative cooling data for input to nowcasts of space weather. Draw on advances in detector arrays, mini cryo-coolers, on-board processing, and CubeSat buses. Solicit industry partner to develop instrument design for proposal to NASA, DARPA, etc.
Benefits
Benefits the NASA Heliophysics science missions
Details
| Technology area | Thermal Management Systems > Cryogenic Systems > Thermal Conditioning for Sensors, Instruments, Samples, and High-Efficiency Electric Motors |
| Program | Center Innovation Fund: LaRC CIF (LaRC CIF) |
| Lead organization | Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA |
| Start date | 2017-10-01 |
| End date | 2018-09-30 |
Project contacts
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
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.
None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.