Researcher 3D printed sensor for satellite
MIT scientists have created the first fully digitally produced plasma sensor to orbit a spacecraft. These plasma sensors, also known as retarding potential analyzers (RPAs), are used by satellites to determine the chemical composition and energy distribution of ions in the atmosphere. The 3D printing and laser cut hardware works and the advanced semiconductor plasma sensors are manufactured in a clean room, which makes them expensive and requires weeks of complex fabrication. In contrast, 3D printed sensors can be produced for tens of dollars in a matter of days. Due to their low cost and fast production, these sensors are ideal for CubeSats. These inexpensive, low-power, and lightweight satellites are often used for communications and environmental monitoring in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The researchers developed RPA using a glass-ceramic material that is more durable than traditional sensor materials such as silicon and thin-film coatings. By using glass-ceramic in a fabricat