A new Instrument for the Kiel Fleet
A new project is taking shape at Kiel University: The Galactic Ray high-Energy Telescope, GRETEL.
GRETEL takes a proven concept and scales it down to fit into a CubeSat. The concept is very similar to the High Energy Telescope aboard Solar Orbiter, (and actually uses spare parts): Two solid-state detectors positioned symmetrically around a scintillation crystal. When highly energetic particles penetrate the detectors, they deposit part of their energy there. These signals are picked up and measured by the electronics.
A Northern German Collaboration
GRETEL is being developed in collaboration with the Hamburg Space Team, located at the Technical University of Hamburg. The newly founded team aims to launch the CubeSat mission Hamburg Autonomous Northern lights Survey (HANS) within the next years. GRETEL will fly as a scientfic payload on this mission.
Find out more about Hamburg Space Team on https://hamburgspace.de .
Work In Progress
GRETEL is being developed as part of my Master’s thesis. Currently, I am working on particle transport simulations to investigate the instrument’s response to different types and energies of radiation. At the same time, the workshop has finished machining the first components. Soon the shiny aluminum prototype will be ready for assembly!