Radiometer Assessment Using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN)

The Radiometer Assessment using Vertically Aligned Nanotubes (RAVAN) 3U CubeSat mission is a pathfinder to demonstrate technologies for the measurement the Earth’s radiation budget, the quantification of which is critical for predicting the course of climate change over the next century. RAVAN successfully demonstrates two key technologies: the use of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) as absorbers in broadband radiometers and gallium phase-change black body cells for degradation monitoring. VACNT forests are arguably the blackest material known and have an extremely flat spectral response over a wide wavelength range. The RAVAN payload flies on a 3U CubeSat that combines stellar attitude determination, sub-degree pointing, and UHF communication. With the successful demonstration of RAVAN technology, there are now lower-cost alternatives for future Earth radiation budget measurements, including constellations.