Conducting Science with a CubeSat: The Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment

Energetic particles, electrons and protons either directly associated with solar flares or trapped in the terrestrial radiation belt, have a profound space weather impact. A 3U CubeSat mission with a single instrument, the Relativistic Electron and Proton Telescope integrated little experiment (REPTile), has been selected by the National Science Foundation to address fundamental questions pertaining to the relationship between solar flares and energetic particles. These questions include the acceleration and loss mechanisms of outer radiation belt electrons. The Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment operating in a highly inclined low earth orbit, will measure differential fluxes of relativistic electrons in the energy range of 0.5-2.9 MeV and protons in 10-40 MeV. This project is a collaborative effort between the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado, which includes the integration of students, faculty, and professional engineers.