About this project:
Delaware Atmospheric Plasma Probe Experiment (DAPPEr) is a student-led space mission that will be Delaware’s first orbital satellite. In partnership with NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, DAPPEr is slated to be launched to and deployed from the International Space Station in 2026. It will carry a pair of Langmuir probes that will map out the density and temperature of electrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere. DAPPEr will be a CubeSat – a type of very small, highly standardized spacecraft. CubeSats have revolutionized access to space, which has made research projects like this more feasible.
UD students (mostly undergraduates) are truly leading every aspect of the DAPPEr mission, from management to electrical and mechanical design. Students are developing some of DAPPEr’s key components, including its Langmuir probes and flight computer, from scratch. For other components, such as its chassis and batteries, students are working with vendors to select the best commercial options.
Funding for the DAPPEr’s components is provided by a 2023 NASA grant, but the team only has a small budget for travel to CubeSat conferences and to meet with collaborators from other institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. These conferences and meetings are important events for promoting the DAPPEr mission, allowing the team to learn more about developing CubeSats and collaborating with other students and mentors.
How your support makes a difference!
Students who traveled to the 2024 CubeSat Developers Workshop (San Luis Obispo, CA) found the meeting invaluable. They established connections with students and researchers across the country, met with vendors and learned more about designing and developing a space mission.
Gifts may also provide general support for DAPPEr.
