ASTERIA
Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics (NASA JPL / MIT)
Mission concluded · 2020- Operator
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory & MIT
- Deployed
- November 20, 2017 (from the International Space Station)
- Launched to ISS
- August 14, 2017 — SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-12
- Form factor
- 6U CubeSat
- Mission type
- Technology demonstration — precision pointing for astrophysical CubeSats
ASTERIA (Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics) was a 6U CubeSat technology-demonstration mission jointly developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and MIT. Its primary objective was to advance the state of the art in CubeSat capabilities — specifically, achieving arcsecond-level line-of-sight pointing stability and highly precise focal-plane temperature control.
These capabilities are prerequisites for precision stellar photometry: the careful measurement of stellar brightness over time, used to study stellar activity, transiting exoplanets, and other astrophysical phenomena.
ASTERIA was deployed from the International Space Station on November 20, 2017, after launching to the ISS earlier that year on SpaceX CRS-12. It was the first JPL-built CubeSat successfully operated in space and continued returning data through several mission extensions before loss of contact.
Alethium's role
Alethium contributed to the ASTERIA mission as part of its continued JPL ground-system and software work.