PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
CubeSats have emerged as cost-effective platforms for biological research in low Earth orbit (LEO). However, they have traditionally been limited to optical absorbance sensors for studying microbial growth. This work has made improvements to the sensing capabilities of these small satellites by incorporating electrochemical ion-selective pH and pNa sensors with optical absorbance sensors to enrich biological experimentation and greatly expand the capabilities of these payloads. We have designed, built, and tested a multi-modal multi-array electrochemical-optical sensor module and its ancillary systems, including a fluidic card and an on-board payload computer with custom firmware. Laboratory tests showed that the module could endure high flow rates (1 mL/min) without leakage, and the 27-well, 81-electrode sensor card accurately detected pH (71.0 mV/pH), sodium ion concentration (75.2 mV/pNa), and absorbance (0.067 AU), with the sensors demonstrating precise linear responses (R2 ≈ 0.99) in various test solutions. The successful development and integration of this technology conclude that CubeSat bio-payloads are now poised for more complex and detailed investigations of biological phenomena in space, marking a significant enhancement of small-satellite research capabilities.
摘要：
CubeSats已成为低地球轨道（LEO）生物研究的具有成本效益的平台。然而,传统上，它们仅限于用于研究微生物生长的光吸收传感器。这项工作通过将电化学离子选择性pH和pNa传感器与光吸收传感器结合起来，丰富了生物实验并大大扩展了这些有效载荷的能力，从而改善了这些小型卫星的传感能力。我们设计了,已建成,并测试了多模态多阵列电化学-光学传感器模块及其辅助系统，包括流体卡和带有自定义固件的机载有效载荷计算机。实验室测试表明，该模块可以承受高流速（1mL/min）而不会泄漏，和27井，81电极传感器卡准确检测pH（71.0mV/pH），钠离子浓度（75.2mV/pNa），和吸光度（0.067AU），传感器在各种测试解决方案中表现出精确的线性响应（R2≈0.99）。该技术的成功开发和集成得出结论，CubeSat生物有效载荷现在已准备好对太空中的生物现象进行更复杂和详细的研究。标志着小卫星研究能力的显著增强。
