INSPIREsat 1

INSPIREsat 1 [IIST]

The INSPIREsat-1 (International Satellite Program in Research and Education 1) is a student satellite developed by Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST), in association with University of Colorado, USA. Other contributors are NTU, Singapore and NCU, Taiwan.

The satellite is part of the international INSPIREsat consortium of global space universities spearheaded by CU Boulder-LASP to advance space science and engineering. Each INSPIRE small satellite will go from concept to flight in three years, allowing undergraduate and graduate students to participate in small-satellite design, construction, testing, and operations. INSPIRE brings science, engineering, and management to universities around the world. The INSPIRE program aims to provide an Earth and space weather-observing satellite constellation. Seven different INSPIRESats are sponsored by the program.

Two scientific payloads improve the understanding of ionosphere dynamics and sun's coronal heating processes.

INPIRESat-1 is a pathfinder for international collaboration in space science missions carrying payloads and spacecraft components developed by multiple nations. The two science payloads onboard the spacecraft are a NASA-funded payload called the Dual Aperture X-Ray Solar Spectrometer (DAXSS) that will measure solar radiation in soft X-Rays to better understand solar coronal heating processes and an in-situ Ionosphere probe called the Compact Ionosphere Probe (CIP) developed by NCU. IIST created the spacecraft's on-board computer and central processing unit. LASP, IIST, and NCU collaborated to develop the electrical power system, with LASP and NCU also contributing to the development of the communications subsystem.