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15 records found

We present an overview of the operations and engineering interface for Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) radio astronomy observations as a scientific component of the ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, as well as other prospective planet ...
Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) is a multi-purpose experimental technique aimed at enhancing the science return of planetary missions. The technique exploits the science payload and spacecraft service systems without requiring a dedicated onboard ins ...

Pale polarized dots

Spectropolarimetry of the Earth as an exoplanet with LOUPE

We present LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of the Earth, a compact snapshot spectropolarimeter designed to observe the Earth from the Moon as if it were an exoplanet. Viewing the Earth as it would be seen by a faraway observer will offer novel insight into ...

Biosignatures of the Earth

I. Airborne spectropolarimetric detection of photosynthetic life

Context. Homochirality is a generic and unique property of life on Earth and is considered a universal and agnostic biosignature. Homochirality induces fractional circular polarization in the incident light that it reflects. Because this circularly polarized light can be sensed r ...

LOUPE: Observing Earth from the Moon to prepare for detecting life on Earth-like exoplanets

Observing Earth from the Moon to prepare for detecting life on Earth-like exoplanets: LOUPE: Observing Earth from the Moon

LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of the Earth, is a small, robust spectro-polarimeter for observing the Earth as an exoplanet. Detecting Earth-like planets in stellar habitable zones is one of the key challenges of modern exoplanetary science. Characterizin ...
Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) will exploit the signal recording and processing technology developed originally for Very Lonag Baseline interferometric (VLBI). The essence of PRIDE is in observing the spacecraft radio signal with a network of Earth- ...
Many biologically produced chiral molecules such as amino acids and sugars show a preference for left or right handedness (homochirality). Light reflected by biological materials such as algae and leaves therefore exhibits a small amount of circular polarization that strongly dep ...
Delft University of Technology is currently developing the pico-satellite platform Delfi-PQ, based on the PocketQube standard, in pursuit of a new generation of satellites with lower cost, flexibility and short development time. A technology demonstration payload expected to fly ...
This papers gives an insight on different sub topics related to a micro-propulsion subsystem for a PocketQube. First, PocketQubes will be introduced and then Delfi-PQ will be presented, providing an overview of the mission for which this micro-propulsion system will be used. Step ...
We present the design of a point-and-shoot non-imaging full-Stokes spectropolarimeter dedicated to detecting life on Earth from an orbiting platform like the ISS. We specifically aim to map circular polarization in the spectral features of chorophyll and other biopigments for our ...
Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) is a multi-purpose experimental technique aimed at enhancing the science return of planetary missions. It is based on, the near-field phase-referencing VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) and radial Doppler measur ...
As a further step in the research towards miniaturization of satellite components and sub-systems, the Department of Space Systems Engineering at the Delft University of Technology has recently embarked in the end-to-end engineering of the Delfi-PQ picosatellite platform, designe ...
Delft University of Technology is currently developing the pico-satellite platform Delfi-PQ, based on the PocketQube standard, in pursuit of a new generation of satellites with lower cost, flexibility and short development time. A technology demonstration payload expected to fly ...
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques uncovered new opportunities in satisfying the mission requirements of the growing next generation nano- and pico-satellite missions. In particular, micro-propulsion is universally recognized as one of the key enabling technologies ...