Delivery of EDDI Payload for CUAVA-2

CUAVA has reached a major milestone in our mission to launch CUAVA-2 in early 2024. We are thrilled to announce that we have received all partner payloads, including the delivery of the Electron Density and Debris Instrument (EDDI). 

The EDDI payload is an impressive piece of technology, designed at the School of Physics, University of Sydney, led by Quinn Musulin, Iver Cairns, Joe Khachan, and Philip Leong. The primary purpose of the EDDI instrument is to measure Earth’s ionospheric plasma density and temperature. It is also designed to detect sub-mm particle impacts on a satellite’s body. To accomplish this, the instrument continuously measures the electric field spectrum around the satellite using a dipole antenna connected to a custom-built PCB for signal amplification and processing.

By continuously measuring Earth’s plasma properties, the EDDI instrument will provide valuable data for developing the first accurate and globally varying dataset for the cold plasma in Earth’s ionosphere. Additionally, the data on particle impacts will contribute to the development of improved space junk models, particularly Pr debris that is too small to be detected and tracked by Earth-based radar systems. 

CUAVA now commence the process of integration into the CUAVA-2 CubeSat, in preparation for launch in early 2024. Congratulations to the EDDI team!

Keep up to date with our news and events blog as we receive delivery of CUAVA-2 payloads.