Building Gamma-Ray Detectors for Two CubeSats

Terrestrial RaYs Analysis and Detection (TRYAD) is a collaborative project between The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Auburn University, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that focuses on the development of two CubeSats to detect and measure Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs). TGFs are short bursts of gamma-radiation in the upper atmosphere thought to be associated with Bremsstrahlung radiation originating from electrons accelerated in thunderstorms. The two CubeSats will be deployed in low-Earth orbit, flying in tandem, and taking multipoint measurements of the TGF beams to shed insight into their production mechanisms. The primary roles of UAH in the TRYAD mission include creating the Science Instrument Package (SIP) which will act as the gamma-ray detector of the CubeSats and to design the Data Acquisition (DAQ) board that powers and reads data from the SIP. Recent work has been focused on testing and assembling the first SIP to prepare for a launch planned for 2023.