Advances in technology, and the privatization of the space industry, have led to far more satellites being launched into space — small satellites to be exact. What once required a refrigerator-sized satellite can now sometimes be packed into one the size of a microwave, or even smaller. The reduced weight translates to reduced launch costs.
We're learning about a project proposal that’s being led by Dr. Derek Buzasi, he is the Whitaker Eminent Scholar in Florida Gulf Coast University's Department of Chemistry and Physics. The project is called ‘MAGIC,’ which stands for Massive Star AsteroseismoloGy Instrument Cubesat. It would conduct asteroseismologyby observing UV light being emitted by massive stars. The one-year design study is being funded by NASA, and was one of eight proposals selected from 32 submitted.
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This show originally aired on July 21, 2020.