Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment

{{Short description|UV space telescope launched in 2021}}

{{redirect|CUTE|other uses|Cute (disambiguation)}}

Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a small UV space telescope to study selected exoplanets.{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Scott Alan |url=https://www.universetoday.com/152713/a-tiny-inexpensive-satellite-will-be-studying-the-atmospheres-of-hot-jupiters/ |title=A Tiny, Inexpensive Satellite Will be Studying the Atmospheres of hot Jupiters |work=Universe Today |date=25 September 2021 |access-date=13 December 2021}}

It was launched as a rideshare on the Atlas V that launched Landsat 9 on September 27, 2021. Designed to operate for at least 8 months and study 10 exoplanets, CUTE remains operational as of December 2023, 27 months after launch. The spacecraft is expected to remain in orbit until 2027.{{cite web |last=Werner |first=Debra |url=https://spacenews.com/cubesat-offers-template-for-future-astronomy-missions/ |title=Cubesat offers template for future astronomy missions |work=SpaceNews |date=12 December 2023 |access-date=13 December 2023}}

CUTE can measure near-UV (255-330 nm) and do low resolution spectroscopy of atmospheric tracers (eg. Fe II, Mg II, Mg I, OH).{{cite web |url=https://lasp.colorado.edu/cute/ |title=Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) |work=LASP |publisher=University of Colorado Boulder |access-date=13 December 2023}}

The UV sensor is a 2048 x 515 pixel CCD array, with the spectrum lengthwise across the sensor.{{cite conference |last=Fleming |first=Brian T. |last2=France |first2=Kevin C. |last3=Nell |first3=Nicholas |last4=Kohnert |first4=Richard A. |last5=Hoadley |first5=Keri |last6=Petit |first6=Pascal M. |last7=Vidotto |first7=Aline A. |last8=Beasley |first8=Matthew |last9=Fossati |first9=Luca |last10=Koskinen |first10=Tommi T. |last11=Desert |first11=Jean-Michel |last12=Pool |first12=Kelsey |last13=Egan |first13=Arika |display-authors=1 |title=The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE): a dedicated cubesat mission for the study of exoplanetary mass loss and magnetic fields |volume=10397 |conference=UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XX |publisher=Proceedings of SPIE |date=2017 |isbn=978-1-5106-1251-8 |doi=10.1117/12.2276138 |arxiv=1801.02673v1}} The 515 pixel width provides tolerance from sensor damage.