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MII Applications

Environmental Probes

A large-scale distribution of tiny spacecraft report an instantaneous global image of a dataset such as solar or ionospheric weather.

Interplanetary Chemists

A swarm of spacecraft tumble into a planet’s atmosphere and test for the presence of specific chemicals, including organic compounds or life signatures.

In-Orbit Inspection

Benign co-location of MII spacecraft with a host spacecraft allows interrogation of the thermal, RF, and particulate environment, assessing the state of health of the parent spacecraft.

Interstellar Explorers

Continuous, periodic spacecraft launches produce a chain of craft racing out of our solar system and reporting data back to Earth by relaying through each subsequent craft. Efficient escape spacecraft can also serve as a form of transmission over distances too large for clear electromagnetic signals, perhaps carrying the human genome or archives of humankind’s history.

For more information, see:

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Team Members

  • Justin Atchison

Undergraduates

  • Alfred Ernst
  • Zac Manchester
  • Phillipe Tosi