Laboratory demonstration of mini-MIGHTI: A prototype sensor for thermospheric red-line (630 nm) neutral wind measurements from a 6U CubeSat

Abstract The design and laboratory demonstration of a prototype sensor for measuring thermospheric red-line winds from a 6U CubeSat is described. The sensor uses the flight spare interferometer developed for the MIGHTI instrument on NASA's ICON satellite with a more limited scientific scope to enable it to fit within the limited volume of a 6U CubeSat. A performance model coupled with laboratory phase shift measurements demonstrate the capability of the sensor for thermospheric, atomic-oxygen, red-line wind measurements.