Published: Dec. 2, 2015

Audio Script

CU-ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ student-built miniature satellite to study solar flares launched into orbit
Dec. 3, 2015Μύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Colden Rouleau/ Scott PaloΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ
A NASA-funded miniature satellite built by CU-ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ students will launch this afternoon from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the start of a six-month-long mission to study solar flares and the powerful X-rays emitted by the sun.
Called the Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer, or MinXSS, it will help shed light on how powerful solar flares impact the Earth’s atmosphere, an effect known as space weather, says graduate student Colden Rouleau (RUE-low).
CUT 1 β€œMinXXS is going to be studying the sun. We’re looking at solar flares. And solar flares are really important because they have a huge impact on space weather and they can even impact the actual weather on Earth as well. (:12) And understanding the way space weather works is important for satellite operations. GPS satellites are affected dramatically by space weather and we are consistently monitoring that and correcting for those things.” (:23)Μύ
The type of satellite built by the students is a CubeSat – a small, low-cost, short lifespan satellite built to take specific scientific observations and measurements. It’s tiny - only 4 inches wide by 4 inches long by 12 inches high β€” about the size of a loaf of bread and features cost-saving electronics that can be bought off the shelf, says Scott Palo, an aerospace professor and associate dean of research in the department of engineering.
CUT 2 β€œA lot of the work that people have been doing is using electronics which are available off the shelf – commercial electronics - which are relatively cost-effective because of the large volume of electronics that are built for the commercial market (:14) So one of the things we have been doing with CubeSat is that we the ability to buy these commercial parts and learn how they work in space and that gives us the opportunity to learn from that experience and then to evolve the design rather than using larger, expensive electronics.” (:29)
The MinXSS will be carried to the International Space Station via a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Space station astronauts will deploy it into space next January where it will operate for up to 12 months. For Rouleau and the other students that worked on the project knowing that their spacecraft is gathering valuable data is astonishing.
CUT 3 β€œThe opportunities I have at CU-ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ are basically giving me the experiences I need to be successful as I go forward because I’m working hands-on on projects. I’m getting my hands dirty. I’m really getting involved. And I’m not just studying things in a book, essentially. These are real projects. (:18) I think that these opportunities are going to just catapult me into where I want to go and let me work on the really cool things that are going to change the world.” (:28)
Over 40 students have worked on the MinXSS mission, continuing a successful tradition of CU-ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ students designing and flying CubeSat missions, including the Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment, which launched in September 2012.
The UAL Atlas rocket carrying the MinXXS CubeSat will launch today at 5:55 p.m. EST. For more information go to: .
Or visit the CU-ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ MinXXS CubeSat homepage at: .
-CU-