Interferometer for Neutral-Thermosphere Dynamics Imaging (INDI)

This Phase I SBIR proposal is to design an architecture that can demonstrate a daytime F-region (thermospheric) wind sensor compatible with the resources available on a 6U CubeSat. We propose a Phase I study for a space-based remote-sensing instrument “Interferometer for Neutral-Thermosphere Dynamics Imaging” (INDI) that provides altitude profiles of the neutral wind speed and direction by measuring the Doppler shift of the 630 nm oxygen airglow emission using the Doppler Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (DASH) technique. We envision the development of a space-based remote-sensing sensor that capitalizes on the design and development of the Michelson Interferometer for Global High resolution Thermospheric Imager (MIGHTI) built by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) for the NASA Ionospheric Connection (ICON) Explorer Mission. MIGHTI is a state of the art thermospheric wind sensor for the day and nighttime F-region that is much too large for a CubeSat mission but proves the fundamental science of such a system. The hardware elements proposed utilize both new, and off the shelf technologies and will be designed to provide the necessary functionality while minimizing power draw and physical size to be compatible with a 6U CubeSat.