Dr. Brian Fleming is a Research Professor in the Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences department at the University of Colorado and the Principal Investigator of several instrument and technology development projects. His science interests range from understanding the transfer of energetic radiation between galaxies and the IGM, to the interplay between exoplanets and their host stars. All of these are tied together by the development of new and innovative instrumentation and technologies for astronomy to help us answer the outstanding questions currently beyond our reach. The SPRITE CubeSat is one such instrument – merging advanced mirror coatings and detectors of the type needed for a future UV-Optical-InfraRed surveyor to reach unprecedented deep UV sensitivities, all while demonstrating the potential of the ultra low-cost cubesat platform. 

Dr. Fleming’s long term ambitions are focused on studying energetic stellar feedback in galaxies by spectrally mapping a large number of low-redshift objects at moderate angular resolution. His research team is developing the tools to build the first UV integral-field spectrograph exactly for this purpose. The INFUSE sounding rocket is an image-slicer based IFS that leverages advanced mirror coatings, an advanced, large-format photon-counting detector, and a unique optical design to map entire objects in a single rocket flight. In addition to that, Dr. Fleming’s team is working on new technologies for even more efficient future spectrographs, including far-UV transmitting fiber optics, advanced diffraction gratings, and MEMS-based mirror arrays for adaptive-field IFS’s. 
Dr. Fleming is involved in several other programs both within and outside of CUSP. He is the Deputy PI and Instrument Scientist on the ESCAPE Small Explorer concept (with CUSP PI Kevin France), was the deputy PI and instrument designer for the LUVOIR-LUMOS concept study, and served in instrument leadership roles on CUTE and several other recent projects. He’s a proud Alaskan and enjoys fishing, early 19th century sailing vessels, and playing board games with his wife and three kids. He has one dog (Sadie), and one cat (Walter J. Chesterfield III).

Projects

SPRITE, CUTE, ESCAPE, SISTINE, CHESS, DEUCE, INFUSE