TechCube-1

CREPT Illustration - Image: NASA — CREPT Illustration – Image: NASA

TechCube-1 is a 3U CubeSat developed at NASA Goddard and uses the SpaceCube high performance satellite platform developed at Goddard with the goal of increasing the service life of CubeSats by increasing their radiation tolerance. TechCube-1 uses the SpaceCube Mini bus that features a 200 MHz Atmel ARM9 CPU with 128 MB of RAM, 512 MB of flash memory, & a 16 GB Micro SD. Linux is used as operating system. The SpaceCube Mini also provides RS-422, SATA and LVDS interfaces for rapid payload integration.

The payload of TechCube-1 is the Compact Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope (CREPT) that uses solid-state detectors to measure electrons at energy ranges of 1-5 MeV and 15-50 MeV. The instrument uses and outer shield consisting of aluminum and tungsten and seven Tantalum baffles to collimate the incoming electrons that pass through a beryllium window before reaching the four detectors.

The events will be counted and electron energies will be measured to study electron growth and decay.

Data from CREPT will augment the data provided by the REPT instrument of the two Van Allen Probes that measures electrons from 20 to 75MeV in a highly elliptical orbit passing through Earth’s radiation belts. CREPT will be deployed in a Low Earth Orbit that is influenced by the inner Van Allen Belt.