NASA has selected a project led by researchers at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder to develop a miniature magnetometer based on a new approach that could transform how magnetic fields are measured in space. The project also involved a student and researchers from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).
Magnetic fields play a major role in shaping space weather, which can affect satellites, astronauts, and technological systems on Earth. The goal of the instrument, called MiniMag, is to improve magnetic field measurements, which are essential for understanding and predicting the space environment.
“MiniMag is designed to capture magnetic field variations across a broad range of frequencies with a single compact sensor,” said Maria Usanova, principal investigator of the project and a senior researcher at LASP. “This enables new measurement approaches for small spacecraft that are difficult to achieve with traditional instruments.”
Most spacecraft currently require two separate instruments to capture the full range of magnetic field variability—one for low-frequency measurements and one for high-frequency measurements. MiniMag takes a different approach by using the Faraday effect, a light-based technique in which a magnetic field rotates the polarization of light. By measuring that rotation, MiniMag can detect magnetic fields across a broad frequency range, from DC (zero Hz) to tens of kiloHertz (kHz). As the technology matures, Usanova says, the instrument could be capable of measuring even higher frequencies.
The initial prototype work on MiniMag, seen in the photo above, was carried out at UCCS, building on earlier magneto-optic sensing concepts. The instrument is now being advanced at LASP toward a compact, flight-ready system.
In addition to Usanova, the project team includes co-investigator Joey Espejo, project manager Kush Tyagi, and mechanical engineer Chip Bollendonk at LASP/CU Boulder, along with co-investigators Dmytro Bozhko and Zbigniew Celinski at UCCS, bringing together expertise from across the CU system.
Student involvement remains a key part of the effort.
“Working on MiniMag was a highlight of my time as an undergraduate,” said Kaitlin McAllister, who played a key role in building the initial prototype and is now pursuing graduate studies in applied physics at Rice University in Houston, Texas. “The opportunity to do hands-on work on real scientific projects led me to pursue a career in physics and prepared me well for graduate school.”
The $1.2 million award from NASA’s Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science (H-TIDeS) program will support the continued maturation of MiniMag.
The team will next work to optimize sensor performance, demonstrate broadband magnetic field measurements, and develop a compact magnetometer designed for CubeSats, SmallSats, and multi-spacecraft constellations.
Together, these efforts will help determine whether MiniMag could one day serve as a new standard for magnetic field measurements on heliophysics and planetary missions.
By Sara Pratt, LASP Sr. Communications Specialist
Founded a decade before NASA, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder (LASP) is revolutionizing human understanding of the cosmos. LASP is deeply committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of space explorers. From the first exploratory rocket measurements of Earth’s upper atmosphere to trailblazing observations of every planet in the solar system, LASP continues to build on its remarkable history with a nearly $1 billion portfolio of new research and engineering programs.
