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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 5)
The Coronagraph Qubesat Imager (CoQI) is a cubesat design study for a cubesat mission to obseve the Sun's corona. The instrument is a high dynamic range EUV (extreme ultraviolet) imaging telescope, using a gradient filter to observe the bright solar disk and the faint outer corona simultaneously. The aim of the project is to develop all the inputs necessary for a cubesat flight proposal, including science traceability matrix, preliminary instrument design, subsystem selection, satellite configuration and mission analysis.
The project aims to develop all material necessary for a ROSES ( Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science) LCAS (Low Cost Access to Space) proposal. Even if the proposal is not successful, the design study will serve as a template for future smallsat and cubesat proposals from MSFC ST, as CoQI includes subsystems typical for most remote-sensing satellite missions. The instrument mechanical design is suitable for a variety of space platforms, and if the cubesat version is not selected for flight, other opportunities will be considered. In addition, the design of the deployable telescope structure is applicable for many other types of solar UV and X-ray instruments.
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