ASTERISC (Advanced Satellite Toward Exploration of dust enviRonment with In-Situ Cosmic dust sensor) is a
nanosatellite
A small satellite, miniaturized satellite, or smallsat is a satellite of low mass and size, usually under . While all such satellites can be referred to as "small", different classifications are used to categorize them based on mass. Satellites ca ...
developed by the Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC) at the
Chiba Institute of Technology that will observe
cosmic dust
Cosmic dust, also called extraterrestrial dust, star dust or space dust, is dust which exists in outer space, or has fallen on Earth. Most cosmic dust particles measure between a few molecules and 0.1 mm (100 micrometers). Larger particles are c ...
in
low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never m ...
. It is built as 3U-sized
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a class of miniaturized satellite based around a form factor consisting of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit, and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. CubeSat ...
and will deploy a large membrane structure in space. ASTERISC was launched on 9 November 2021 by an
Epsilon launch vehicle.
Overview
ASTERISC's
satellite bus
A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held.
Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus- ...
is based on PERC's first CubeSat, S-CUBE, which was operated from 2015 to 2016.
ASTERISC is named after the word
asterisk
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often vo ...
(*), which traces its origin to an ancient Greek word meaning "little star". The satellite will observe space dust, which are tiny fragments of a star. Additionally, the satellite is a CubeSat, figuratively a "little star". The project is led by Ryo Ishimaru of PERC.
Mission
ASTERISC's mission is to investigate small dust particles in space. The particles detected by the satellite are expected to be from two different sources; those of natural origin are
cosmic dust
Cosmic dust, also called extraterrestrial dust, star dust or space dust, is dust which exists in outer space, or has fallen on Earth. Most cosmic dust particles measure between a few molecules and 0.1 mm (100 micrometers). Larger particles are c ...
, while those of artificial origin are small
space debris. Cosmic dust targeted by ASTERISC are particles that are too small to become meteors. Unlike larger dusts, dusts of this size likely do not burn up when they enter in Earth's atmosphere, and some scientist hypothesize that these dusts may be able to bring organic molecules from space.
On the engineering side, ASTERISC will test a new type of film-based dust sensor.
The CubeSat's primary instrument is a deployable dust sensor covered in
polyimide. When minute particles impact the polyimide film (10 x 30 cm), it will create elastic waves, which will then be measured by numerous piezoelectric devices attached to the polyimide film.
ASTERISC will detect particles impacts as electric signals generated by the piezoelectric devices. Since this data will be monitored in real time, it may be possible to investigate the distribution of cosmic dust and minuscule space debris in
low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never m ...
.
See also
List of CubeSats
References
External links
ASTERISC- Chiba Institute of Technology
{{Orbital launches in 2021
Satellites of Japan
Spacecraft launched in 2021
2021 in Japan