Montreal Space Symposium

Atmospheric monitoring in remote or hazardous areas requires compact systems capable of acquiring multiple types of information for thorough atmospheric characterization. Parameters of interest in the atmosphere include not only physical characteristics such as temperature and humidity, but also the existence, quantity, and types of biological specimens present. A deployable system with capability of recording physical and biological information is valuable on Earth for acquiring information about the atmosphere of remote areas. It could also be employed as a planetary science and exobiology payload for characterization of atmospheres of other planets, especially planets where there is potential for finding life. A low cost, compact, and robust design allows it to be easily deployed on Earth or as a secondary payload on interplanetary missions. Airborne biological specimens, often called bioaerosols, have been acquired and analyzed from altitudes beyond 10 km in Earth’s atmosphere. These specimens include but are not limited to bacteria, fungal spores, and pollen. Collection of bioaerosols on Earth is usually conducted with planes or balloons; however, the compact size of the CubeSat structure can serve as an advantage for experimentalists. SPORE, the Subatmospheric Probe for Organic Research and Exploration, is an atmospheric monitoring suite contained in a 0.8x0.8x2.4U CubeSat structure. Equipped with a sensor suite containing altitude, temperature, humidity, UV, IR and visible light sensors, as well as a vacuum pump bacterial collection system, it is capable of recording physical characteristics of the atmosphere and collecting biological specimens during descent.

SPORE was deployed at the 2018 Spaceport America Cup, however was unfortunately not recovered. The talk will focus on preliminary testing done for the experiment, lessons learned from the actual launch and an outlook into the future