| Name | RAVAN XB3 (Radiometer Assessment Using Vertical Aligned Nanotubes, Ravan XB-3) |
|---|---|
| Type | CubeSat |
| Units or mass | 3U |
| Status | Operational? (Science mission ended in August 2018, but operational as of February 2019) |
| Launched | 2016-11-11 |
| NORAD ID | 41849 |
| Deployer | P-POD (Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer) |
| Launcher | Atlas V |
| Organisation | Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Institution | University |
| Entity | Academic / Education |
| Nation | US |
| Manufacturer | AIVT by Blue Canyon |
| Operator | Blue Canyon |
| Launch brokerer | Tyvak |
| Oneliner |
Measure the absolute imbalance in the Earth's radiation budget using radiometer. |
| Description |
Demonstrate technology needed to measure the absolute imbalance in the Earth's radiation budget for the first time, giving scientists valuable information to study our climate. Demonstrate a radiometer that is compact, low-cost, and low-uncertainty. The radiometer uses a gallium fixed-point black body as a built-in calibration source and a vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) absorber. VACNTs are the blackest known substance. Neither the VACNT nor gallium black body has ever been used in an orbiting scientific instrument. Successful demonstration will pave the way for a constellation Earth radiation budget mission that can provide valuable measurements needed to significantly advance our understanding of ongoing and future climate change. |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
| Keywords | Globalstar or Iridium or Inmarsat |
Last modified: 2022-12-29
Detailed RAVAN XB3 entry in the Database
Full Nanosats Database (much more data)
