On May 3, a solar detector prototype developed by Wichita State University will be launched by NASA into low Earth orbit, toward a potential future mission close to the sun.
Integrated via Germany’s launch integrator Exolaunch, the CubeSat platform was built by NanoAvionics of Lithuania. It will carry and test the WSU-designed prototype solar neutrino detector into low Earth orbit to prove the detector can operate in space.
Dr. Nickolas Solomey, professor of mathematics, statistics and physics, leads the interdisciplinary project, which also includes Dr. Holger Meyer, professor of physics, Atri Dutta, associate professor of aerospace engineering, and Dr. Hyuck Kwan, professor of electrical engineering. Thirty-six graduate and undergraduate students, to date, have worked on the project since its start.
A watch party is scheduled for 1:30 a.m. Sunday, May 3 in 127 Jabara Hall. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to attend.