The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) Mission Overview
Kevin France, Brian Fleming, Arika Egan, Jean-Michel Desert, Luca, Fossati, Tommi T. Koskinen, Nicholas Nell, Pascal Petit, Aline A. Vidotto,, Matthew Beasley, Nicholas DeCicco, Aickara Gopinathan Sreejith, Ambily, Suresh, Jared Baumert, P. Wilson Cauley

TL;DR
The CUTE CubeSat mission conducts ultraviolet transit spectroscopy to study atmospheric escape in close-in exoplanets, demonstrating small satellite capabilities for this scientific investigation with initial results from on-orbit observations.
Contribution
This paper introduces the CUTE mission, showcasing the use of a CubeSat for ultraviolet transit spectroscopy of exoplanets, a novel application for small satellites.
Findings
Successful deployment and operation in low-Earth orbit
Initial transit spectroscopy observations obtained
Potential for small satellites to contribute to exoplanet atmospheric studies
Abstract
Atmospheric escape is a fundamental process that affects the structure, composition, and evolution of many planets. The signatures of escape are detectable on close-in, gaseous exoplanets orbiting bright stars, owing to the high levels of extreme-ultraviolet irradiation from their parent stars. The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a CubeSat mission designed to take advantage of the near-ultraviolet stellar brightness distribution to conduct a survey of the extended atmospheres of nearby close-in planets. The CUTE payload is a magnifying NUV (2479~--~3306 Ang) spectrograph fed by a rectangular Cassegrain telescope (206mm x 84mm); the spectrogram is recorded on a back-illuminated, UV-enhanced CCD. The science payload is integrated into a 6U Blue Canyon Technology XB1 bus. CUTE was launched into a polar, low-Earth orbit on 27 September 2021 and has been conducting this…
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Taxonomy
TopicsPhotocathodes and Microchannel Plates · Atmospheric Ozone and Climate · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
