COPPER (Close Orbiting Propellant Plume and Elemental Recognition)

Demonstrate microbolometer array for infrared imaging and radiation measurements.

Imaging mission: Flight-test the abilities of a commercially available compact uncooled microbolometer array to take infrared images of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere.

Radiation mission: Improve the predictive performance modeling of radiation effects on small, modern space electronics devices by collecting radiation particle collision data from electronics monitoring experiments and relaying the data to the ground. The FLIR Tau 320 Microbolometer Array, with a custom-built interface board (giving us greater control over the imager and allowing us to store 14-bit images at 30 frames per second). A pathfinder payload provided by Vanderbilt University, in preparation for the Argus mission. The Commodore payload will demonstrate basic interfaces and functionality of their radiation-effects monitoring payload controller.