Space Dynamics Laboratory
{{Short description|Nonprofit government contractor owned by Utah State University}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Space Dynamics Laboratory
| abbreviation = SDL
| logo = File:Space_Dynamics_Laboratory_Logo.svg
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| logo_size = 200px
| image = Space Dynamics Laboratory - Auditorium morning.jpg
| caption = Looking west at the Space Dynamics Laboratory auditorium building in the morning
| image_size = 300px
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = Jed J Hancock{{cite web | title=Leadership – Space Dynamics Laboratory | website=Space Dynamics Laboratory | url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/company/leadership | access-date=2023-07-15}}
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| type = Nonprofit
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| predecessor = Electro-Dynamics Laboratories (EDL),
Upper Air Research Laboratory (UARL)
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| founded = {{Start date and age|1982}}
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| headquarters = North Logan, Utah, United States
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| revenue = About US$175 million {{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/downloads/sdl-overview.pdf|title=Overview|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date=May 23, 2020}}
| revenue_year = FY2019
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| staff_year = FY2019
| parent_organization = Utah State University
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| website = {{URL|https://www.sdl.usu.edu/}}
| footnotes =
| affiliations = UARC for the Missile Defense Agency
}}
Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) is a nonprofit government contractor owned by Utah State University. SDL is the sole University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) for the United States Missile Defense Agency; and, is one of 15 UARCs in the nation for the United States Department of Defense. Together with Utah State University, SDL has completed over 420 successful space missions and deployed over 500 independent hardware and software systems into space.{{Cite web |title=Space Dynamics Laboratory |url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu |access-date=April 10, 2024}}
SDL was formed in 1982 from the merger of Utah State University's Electro Dynamics Laboratories (founded in 1959) and the University of Utah's Upper Air Research Laboratory (founded in 1948).{{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/company/history|title=SDL - History |publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory, Utah State University|access-date=May 23, 2020}} The corporation has been responsible for the design, fabrication, and operation of sensors on over 430 payloads ranging from aircraft and rocket-borne experiments to space shuttle experiments and satellite-based sensor systems. SDL provides sensor systems and supporting technologies to address challenges for the United States government. SDL designs and develops electro-optical sensors, builds small satellites, provides calibration services, and creates real-time data reconnaissance systems.
SDL employs over 900 engineers, students, and professional staff at facilities in Logan, Utah; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Bedford, Massachusetts; Dayton, Ohio; Huntsville, Alabama; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Washington, D.C.
History
SDL origins date back to 1948 with experiments by the University of Utah Upper Air Research Laboratory (UARL) to measure electron density in the upper atmosphere of Earth utilizing German V-2 rockets. In 1959, the Electro-Dynamics Laboratories (EDL) was founded at Utah State University. The UARL relocated to Utah State University in 1970 and merged with EDL in 1982 to form SDL. One of the early missions involved measurements during Operation Dominic in 1962. In 1965, the laboratory participated in its 100th launch aboard a sounding rocket. In 1982, SDL participated in its first experiment (the Vehicle Charging and Potential experiment) aboard a space shuttle as part of STS-3.
Projects for NASA
SDL has been a contractor for NASA on a variety of missions for decades.
In 2019, NASA selected USU to conduct the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) led by Mike Taylor. AWE involves an imager built at SDL that will be mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) to map airglow.{{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/media-events/news/press/2019/mar6-usus-atmospheric-waves-experiment-chosen-by-nasa|title=USU's Atmospheric Waves Experiment chosen by NASA for mission to study space weather|date=March 6, 2019|website=sdl.usu.edu|access-date=May 13, 2019}}
Other NASA projects include:
- Thermal links for infrared instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope.{{cite web|url=http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=42436|title=Space Dynamics Laboratory Delivers James Webb Space Telescope Subsystem to NASA|date=February 3, 2014|website=spaceref.com|publisher=Utah State University|access-date= May 13, 2019}}
- SDL built and tested The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) science instrument used to discover thousands of minor planets and asteroids.{{cite web |url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/programs/wise|title=Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer|website=sdl.usu.edu|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date=May 13, 2019}}
- SDL designed, manufactured, and tested the cryogenic subsystems for the focal plane assemblies of Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) and of OCO-2.{{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/programs/oco|title=Orbiting Carbon Observatory|website=sdl.usu.edu|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date=May 13, 2019}}
- Solar occultation for ice experiment (SOFIE) on board the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite was designed and fabricated at SDL.{{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/programs/aim |title=Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment|website=sdl.usu.edu|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date=May 13, 2019}}
- The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) designed and built by SDL monitors surface charging of the International Space Station (ISS).{{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/downloads/fpmu.pdf |title=Floating Potential Measurement Unit|website=sdl.usu.edu|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date=May 13, 2019}}
- The detector electronics assemblies for the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS) to image the asteroid, search for outgassing plumes, and document the sample acquisition.{{cite web |url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/downloads/osiris-rex.pdf|title=OSIRIS-REx|website=sdl.usu.edu|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date=May 13, 2019}}
- Cryogenic Infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle (CIRRIS 1A) flew onboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1991 as part of STS-39. CIRRIS was used to measure phenomena such as airglow and auroral phenomenology. SDL designed, built, and tested the instrument.{{cite web|url=https://www.sdl.usu.edu/programs/cirris1a |title= Cryogenic Infrared Radiance Instrumentation for Shuttle|website=sdl.usu.edu|publisher=Space Dynamics Laboratory|access-date= July 26, 2019}}
- A subsystem for the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite was built at SDL.{{cite web|url=https://www.ksl.com/article/46743605/usu-space-dynamics-lab-delivers-test-unit-to-nasa-for-spacecraft-set-for-2022-launch|title=USU Space Dynamics Lab delivers test unit to NASA for spacecraft set for 2022 launch|last=Cortez|first=Marjorie|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=May 23, 2020}}
- WIRE was a space telescope built and tested at SDL, part of an $80 million mission. The telescope failed soon after launch and SDL representatives accepted responsibility for the failure.{{cite news |last=Siegel |first=Lee |url=https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6450v52/27775624 |title=USU Takes the Blame for Failure Of $80 Million Satellite Mission |date=4 June 1999 |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=28 April 2023 |location=Salt Lake City |page=1 |ref=none}}
References
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.sdl.usu.edu/ Space Dynamics Laboratory official website]
{{Utah State University}}
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Category:Laboratories in the United States
Category:Utah State University