Toward a Sun-as-a-Star FUV Reference Spectrum with FURST
The Full-sun Ultraviolet Rocket SpecTrograph (FURST) will place the Sun in context with a great many stars observed by Hubble, providing the first high resolution solar reference spectrum covering 120-183 nm. We will share highlights of the scientific motivation, instrument design and construction, and lessons learned from the first flight on 2024 Sepember 3. We conclude with objectives and plans for a FURST reflight.
Charles Kankelborg is Professor of Physics at Montana State University. His research focuses on studying the energization of the solar atmosphere through space-based observations in FUV, EUV, and soft X-ray wavelengths. Charles is PI of the FURST mission and has led four suborbital rocket flights. He is a Co-I on the NASA IRIS and MUSE satellite missions.
Catharine "Cappy" Bunn is a PhD candidate in solar physics at Montana State University and a NASA FINESST fellow. Her research interests include the solar-stellar connection and transition region explosive events. Her contributions to the FURST mission thus far include optical alignment, focusing, testing, calibration, I&T, and launch operations. In addition to her MS in Physics, she has formal training in art, which she applies to mission patches and outreach materials. She previously worked on ground-based NIR lidar for terrestrial atmospheric profiling before shifting to space-based FUV instrumentation to study the solar atmosphere.
Suman Panda is a PhD candidate in the Electrical Engineering Department at Montana State University with a master's degree in physics. Her research focuses on solar physics instrumentation including optical alignment, integration, testing, and calibration of the Full-sun Ultraviolet Rocket SpecTrometer (FURST). Originally from India, she is passionate about hands-on experimental research and outreach. Her long-term goal is to lead innovative space instrumentation projects.