Researchers receive funding for remote occulter — Laser/Ao sub-system

Peter Plavchan, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Shobita Satyapal, Professor, Physics and Astronomy, and Peter Pachowicz, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, received $6,200 from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for a project in which they will develop science and technical requirements for the science traceability matrix for the Orbiting Configurable Artificial Star (ORCAS) mission concept.

As Mason Principal Investigator, Plavchan will lead the exoplanet science case development, supervising an undergraduate student.

Satyapal will contribute science mission expertise in an advisory role.

Pachowicz will contribute space engineering expertise in an advisory role.

Funding for this work began in March 2020 and will end in March 2021.

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