CubeSat UV Experiment

CubeSat UV Experiment (CUVE)
Mission typeReconnaissance
OperatorNASA
Mission durationCruise: 1.5 years
Science: ≤ 6 months[1]
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCUVE
Spacecraft typeCubeSat
Bus12-Units
Venus orbiter
Orbital parameters
Inclination90° (elliptic polar orbit)[2]
Main telescope
Diameter80 mm [3]
WavelengthsUltraviolet - visible
(190-570 nm)
Instruments
UV/Vis spectrometer, broad-spectrum UV imager

CubeSat UV Experiment (CUVE) is a space mission concept to study the atmospheric processes of the planet Venus with a small satellite. Specifically, the orbiter mission would study an enigmatic ultraviolet light absorber of unknown composition situated within the planet's uppermost cloud layer that absorbs about half the solar radiation downwelling in the planet's atmosphere.

The mission concept is still in its early formulation stage. The Principal Investigator is Valeria Cottini, at the University of Maryland in College Park.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PhysOrg Keesey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Planetary Missions and Concepts - Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA. September 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference CUVE slides was invoked but never defined (see the help page).