Fibertek was awarded a four-year contract with the University of Florida to support NASA's Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Charge Management Device (CMD) program. Under this contract Fibertek will continue our partnership with the University of Florida in designing and testing CMD spaceflight Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL-6) and engineering development units.

LISA is an international project led by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and launch a space-based gravitational wave detector. The detector consists of three satellites spaced 2.5 million kilometers apart in an equilateral triangle in an Earth-trailing orbit. The goal is to search for gravitational wave signatures that come from distortions of space-time produced by distant astronomical events such as the merging of massive black holes.

LISA is a space interferometer that measures gravitational waves by sensing minuscule changes in the path length between mirrors. As a gravitational wave passes, it effectively changes the distance between the mirrors with a characteristic signature.

The laser interferometer mirrors must float freely within the spacecraft to measure the gravitational wave induced changes in the path length between the interferometer mirrors. The CMD manages the static charge buildup on the laser mirrors due to cosmic radiation and prevents the mirrors from contacting the spacecraft.

"This program is a unique university-industry partnership. It combines University of Florida expertise in gravity measurement physics with Fibertek's optical space hardware capability to deliver NASA new CMD capability for LISA," said Mark Storm, director of NASA programs at Fibertek.

"The University of Florida has done a fantastic job developing the CMD concept and prototype units. We look forward to evolving this design with the university into LISA spaceflight units."

The Charge Management Device is a crucial subsystem that consists of an array of ultraviolet LEDs that are coupled to the surfaces of the free-floating mass using fiberoptic cables. The ultraviolet light is used to discharge the masses and precisely control the static electric fields. In addition to the LEDs, the CMD includes electronics to power the LEDs in a variety of operating modes, monitor performance, and communicate with the main satellite controller.

Fibertek looks forward to continuing our working relationship with the University of Florida and the NASA LISA team.

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