CubeSat to study Solar Particles (CuSP)

The CubeSat to study Solar Particles (CuSP) is one of a dozen shoebox-size payloads, called CubeSats, that will hitchhike into interplanetary space aboard EM-1, the first unmanned test flight of NASA’s giant new Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS rocket is designed to eventually carry astronauts to the Moon and Mars aboard the Orion spacecraft.

CuSP will study Solar Particles in interplanetary space, be a Pathfinder for creating a network of “Space Weather Stations”, strengthen the case for CubeSats as a viable platform for performing ‘High Value’ Science, raise the TRL of the SIS instrument for future missions

CuSP Quick Facts:

• First SwRI CubeSat mission
• 6U CubeSat 30 cm x 20 cm x 10 cm (plus a little)
• Deployed 30 cm x 80 cm (solar arrays) x 30 cm (antenna/boom)
• Less than 14 kg
• Trans-lunar, heliocentric orbit at 1AU
• 3-axis Stable, Sun Pointing Spacecraft
• Launch vehicle: SLS EM-1 secondary payload
• 3+ month duration (bandwidth limited)
• Science Payload:
  • SIS – Suprathermal Ion Spectrograph 3-70 keV/q
  • VHM – Vector Helium Magnetometer
  • MERiT – Miniaturized Electron and pRoton Telescope 2-150 MeV/q