SPRITE (Supernova Remnants and Proxies for Re-Ionization Testbed Experiment)

Determine how gas and dust are processed in galaxies by star-formation and supernovae.

Scientific investigation mission designed to observe ionizing radiation escape from low redshift star-forming galaxies, and the internal processes that shape galaxy evolution. SPRITE will carry out two scientific surveys over a one-year mission. The first is a mapping survey of star-forming regions and supernova remnants in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds to assess the impact of massive stars on galaxy evolution. The second survey will observe the ionizing radiation spectrum of 100 galaxies in the 0.16-0.5 redshift range as proxies for galaxies at the Epoch of Reionization.

Determine how gas and dust are processed in galaxies by star-formation and supernovae, and how energetic ionizing radiation is transported from hot stars into the intergalactic medium.

SPRITE is the fourth scientific CubeSat funded by NASA for Astrophysics and first to operate in the windowless vacuum ultraviolet from 100 – 175 nm.

SPRITE will undertake a one year spectroscopic survey to measure the fraction of ionizing radiation escaping from low-redshift (0.16 < z < 0.5) galaxies and AGN, and to map emission from the interface regions between supernova remnants and star-forming regions in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds.

The data from SPRITE will consist of deep far-UV spectra of 100+ galaxies, data cube maps of 50+ supernova remnants and star-forming regions in the Magellanic Clouds, and data cube maps of roughly 2 square degrees of the Cygnus and Vela supernova remnants in the Milky Way. All data will be archived for the community on