Nanohmics announces successful mission to the International Space Station
- February 15, 2022
The Chip-scale Hyperspectral Imaging MISSE Payload (CHIMP) experiment is live… more details to follow!
History
Under 2014 and subsequent 2016-19 NASA research contracts through the SBIR/STTR program, Nanohmics developed a novel chip-scale spectral imaging technology for CubeSat and space applications. After further maturing the technology under Missile Defense Agency and Special Operations Command SBIR funding, Nanohmics embarked on an ambitious internally funded development program to fly a demonstration prototype on the space station. Nanohmics secured mission funding from the International Space Station National Laboratory and subsequently designed, built, and delivered an instrument for the MISSE Flight Facility within a 6 month period that included a full embedded Linux system, re-calibration suite, context camera, shutter assembly, and sun sensor. Nanohmics performed internal thermal-vacuum and shock-vibe testing, then delivered the system to Alpha Space (now Aegis Aerospace) in mid-2021 for full flight qualification and subsequent integration with MISSE-15. After catching a ride on SpaceX flight CRS-23 in August, 2021, and awaiting our turn to head out the airlock, the instrument suite was installed in a ram-facing position in January, 2022.
The first view of Earth from the CHIMP experiment’s color context camera. We caught sunset over the Atlantic Ocean and a bit of solar panel on the right side of the frame.