The SPRITE (The Supernova remnants, Proxies for Re-Ionization Testbed Experiment) 12U CubeSat mission, funded by NASA and led by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, will house the first Far-UV (100-175 nm) long-slit spectrograph with access to the Lyman UV (λ ⪅ 115 nm) and sub-arcminute imaging resolution. SPRITE will map the high energy emission from diffuse gas allowing for the study of star formation feedback in a critical, but rarely studied, Far-UV regime on both stellar and galactic scales. This novel capability is enabled by new UV technologies incorporated into SPRITE’s design. These technologies include more robust, high broadband reflectivity mirror coatings and an ultra-low background photon counting microchannel plate detector. The SPRITE science mission includes weekly calibration observations to characterize the performance of these key UV technologies over time, increasing their technology readiness level (TRL) to 7+ and providing flight heritage essential for future UV flagship space missions such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Currently, SPRITE is in the beginning stages of integration and testing of its flight assembly with a planned delivery date of fall of 2024. This proceeding will overview the current mission status, the schedule for testing and integration prior to launch, and the planned mission operations for SPRITE.
The SPRITE cubesat is a recently selected NASA astrophysics mission designed to measure ionizing radiation escape from star-forming galaxies, and to map far-ultraviolet (1000 - 1750 Å) emission from shocked regions in supernova remnants. The instrument leverages a number of new technologies identified for future large mission concepts, including the LUVOIR surveyor, to achieve the required performance. These include high broadband reflectivity mirror coatings and an ultra-low background photon counting microchannel plate detector with an anti-coincidence particle rejection system. SPRITE will serve as a flight testbed for these technologies, employing a robust calibration program as part of the principal science mission to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) to 7+ and provide heritage for future Explorer-class and larger missions. SPRITE is a 6U class cubesat funded through NASA ROSES with an anticipated launch date in 2022. The science data products will be archived on the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). This proceedings describes the instrument science program, optical design, preliminary performance projections, and project timeline.
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