Using Kromek detectors in a CubeSat
The Irvine CubeSat Program, powered by Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF), is a revolutionary STEM initiative based in Irvine, California, composed of six public high schools from the Tustin and Irvine School Districts. The program collectively strives to assemble, test, and launch a solar-powered CubeSat. It aims to inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers, creators, programmers, and explorers.
Kromek has been working with Irvine CubeSat to find the perfect gamma spectrometer to go into orbit, they will be using the Kromek GR1.
Irvine CubeSat represents an incredible opportunity for a diverse group of students to come together and gain advanced hands-on STEM experience with an emphasis on space. Students will not only assemble a CubeSat, but they will also participate in a professional team environment that challenges them to receive and process technical training in their team’s area of emphasis, collaborate with manufacturers to acquire components, and even participate in professional panel reviews of their work from industry experts.
Once the CubeSat is successfully launched, schools will engage in a variety of orbital manoeuvres and experiments, including operating the CubeSat to position the antennae, solar panels and camera for optimal operation. The CubeSat will also collect data that students can practice evaluating and share for further study.
Partner colleges and universities are supporting the program because they view it as a training ground for the next generation of great minds in space science. Beyond high school, participants will be uniquely positioned to pursue post-secondary education in a variety of science and space-related disciplines.
Irvine CubeSat under construction, this will carry the GR1 gamma spectrometer into space.
