MARIO selected for launch

MARIO image

Congratulations to the MARIO team for their selection by the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) for an upcoming launch. Launch details are TBD but we’re scheduled to finish the flight satellite in late 2018.

MARIO (Measurement of Actuator Response and Impedance on Orbit) is a 3U CubeSat collaboration between MXL, Extreme Diagnostics, and the Michigan’s Active Intelligent and Multifunctional Structure (AIMS) Lab, and NASA. The mission objective is to characterize the performance of piezoelectric actuators and health monitoring systems in low Earth orbit conditions. Test data will help develop future advanced space mechanisms.

mario test
Test setup for thermal imaging of the MARIO actuators.
thermal camera
Screen shot of thermal camera measurements on test actuators. Thermal gradients were being measured.