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Completed TRL 6 (started at 5, targeting 6)
For studies of the highly collisional mesosphere and lower thermosphere (50-120 km altitude), sensitive measurements of the electrodynamic environment require a small and compact measurement platform that provides minimal perturbation to the plasma environment. Since 1980, these measurements have been obtained with the “Maynard sphere” developed by Nelson Maynard at Goddard, but these spherical payloads have not been flown since 2001. Since there is an increased emphasis on measurements in this region, there is a strong need to modernize these compact electronics to provide high-resolution, low-noise measurements in a very highly miniaturized package, to support major upcoming rocket campaigns. The end goal of the product is to develop and fly a fully modernized and miniaturized measurement electronics to measure DC and AC electric fields, plasma density, and magnetic fields, in this miniaturized spherical payload.
We anticipate that improving the Maynard sphere electronics will provide an advanced, mesospheric electric field measurement capability in a very small, spherical payload. This development effort will also enable electric field instruments to be applied to potential future Cubesat missions.
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