COPPER 2 Spacecraft

Reflight of COPPER to demonstrate compact uncooled microbolometer array to take infrared images of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere.

Reflight of COPPER. Imaging mission: Flight-test the abilities of a commercially available compact uncooled microbolometer array to take infrared images of Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. Radiation mission: Improve the predictive performance modeling of radiation effects on small, modern space electronics devices by collecting radiation particle collision data from electronics monitoring experiments and relaying the data to the ground.

The FLIR Tau 320 Microbolometer Array, with a custom-built interface board (giving us greater control over the imager and allowing us to store 14-bit images at 30 frames per second). A pathfinder payload provided by Vanderbilt University, in preparation for the Argus mission. The Commodore payload will demonstrate basic interfaces and functionality of their radiation-effects monitoring payload controller

"2017 Update: Flight Software teams unable to communicate or program the integrated spacecraft on the shelf. New Launch Provider cancelled and replaced all university missions on the Launch Vehicle (Minotaur-C). COPPER-2 was cancelled and scrapped for later missions."