The STF-1 team continued progress on various components of the spacecraft during the past week. The WVU Physics and Astronomy department is contributing an instrument to analyze space weather in the ionosphere. The instrument contains a Langmuir Probe for measuring properties of plasma and a Geiger counter for measuring ionizing radiation.
During the past week, the final flight board assembly was completed and testing of the firmware for the microcontroller and of the hardware was executed in the physics lab in White Hall at WVU. The various components that will eventually comprise STF-1 each must be tested in isolation prior to being ready to integrate into the chassis and then the entire spacecraft being tested.
The pictures below show instrument testing at the lab. If you look closely, you can see the cylindrical end of the Geiger counter sticking out between the two circuit boards. Note also the various leads connected to the board and the external instruments needed for performing stimuli and taking measurements during testing. (Photo credits: Mark Suder)
