Title: NIST Team Wins Bronze Medal for Pioneering Space-Ready Superconducting Sensors
A team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been awarded a Bronze Medal for their groundbreaking work on superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs). The team, led by W. Bertrand (Randy) Doriese and Carl Reintsema, spent 16 years developing TES technology that can withstand the extreme conditions of space.
Their work culminated in 2022 with the successful deployment of the Micro-X rocket, which used TES cameras to capture high-resolution X-ray images of a supernova remnant. TES cameras provide significantly improved X-ray imaging capabilities but require operating temperatures close to absolute zero. The NIST team developed specialized readout circuits that could handle the shock of launch and function properly in the harsh space environment.
The successful demonstration of TES technology in space opens up new possibilities for its use in future NASA satellite missions. The team’s innovative approach to creating space-ready superconducting sensors has the potential to revolutionize X-ray imaging and other scientific observations from space.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/nist-awards/2023-bronze-medal-award-w-bertrand-randy-doriese-carl-reintsema
Keywords: X-rays, TESs, Micro-X, rocket, launch, space, satellite, temperature, absolute zero, X-ray images, supernova remnant
