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From Sounding Rockets to Space Shuttles
With roots in the pre-NASA days of WWII sounding rockets and suborbital flights, the Engineering Division at LASP has developed space instruments and small spacecraft to support the goals and objectives of space science. In the 1960s LASP built UV spectrometers for Mariner 6, 7, and 9. Primarily designed to observe the ultraviolet signature of the Martian atmosphere, the instrument measurements were used to produce the first topographic map of Mars. LASP's ultraviolet spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus Mission, launched in the late 1970s, returned 14 years of observations before the spacecraft burned up in the Venusian atmosphere. In the 1980s, the Voyager spacecraft carried LASP's photopolarimeter - an instrument designed to measure dust and ice crystals in a planet's atmosphere, and the characteristics of its surface, by detecting and analyzing the polarized light coming from the planet. This instrument returned data indicating a fourth ring around Saturn, and confirmed that Saturn's three visible rings are composed of many thin, closely packed rings. The loss of the space shuttle Challenger struck a blow to LASP's research efforts as her payload bay contained LASP's Spartan spacecraft developed to observe Halley's Comet, in close collaboration with the shuttle crew.
The SORCE instruments (top to bottom) SOLSTICE, TIM, and XPS.
Photo courtesy of Goeffry Wheeler |
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Building Towards Discoveries
More recent planetary missions include the Galileo mission to orbit Jupiter with two LASP spectrometers on board. The Cassini spacecraft is now enroute to Saturn, and when it arrives LASP's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) will study Saturn's rings and atmosphere, and Saturn's moon Titan. The Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) satellite is LASP's most ambitious student project to date. Launched in 1998 with a design lifetime of 81 days, the operational spacecraft entered a fifth year of operation in February 2002.
LASP's TIMED (Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics, and Dynamics) sun pointing Solar Extreme Ultrviolet Experiment (SEE) was built by the Engineering Division, and is now in orbit studying the sun. LASP's largest project to date - the current Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) spacecraft project - is scheduled to launch in late 2002. LASP is managing the mission building the suite of four instruments, procuring the satellite, and operating the spacecraft after launch.
Partnerships and Student Opportunities
LASP provides student apprentice opportunities for engineering instruction as a major objective to serve the university. Undergraduate and graduate students have significant opportunities to participate in instrument and spacecraft development that strongly complements their academic studies. LASP's Engineering Division explores partnerships with universities, commercial business, and government organizations to accomplish the lab's objectives in the continually evolving area of space science.
A Heritage of Excellence
LASP's engineering processes have been fine-tuned over the years. Engineering has evolved to meet contemporary standards for performance and productivity, and much of the character of the LASP laboratory reflects NASA's early methods of in-house, hands-on hardware development. LASP's instruments and components are manufactured, assembled, tested, and calibrated on site in the Space Technology Building's extensive, dedicated facilities. Many of LASP's current engineering personnel have decades of expertise in small spacecraft and instrumental technology. LASP engineers have expertise in structures, stress and thermal analysis, mechanisms, detectors covering the spectrum of extreme ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths, imaging optics, electronics, microprocessors, and vacuum test and calibration.
The co-location of scientists and engineers in the Space Technology Building maximizes scientific return by enabling dynamic, collaborative interaction that enhances the exchange of ideas. Problems are addressed quickly - oftentimes with decisions that improve instrument quality without impacting cost and schedule. Experience gained by developing hardware in-house is retained and passed on to future projects. This heritage is a key element in LASP's excellent performance record.
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