CXBN-2

Cosmic X-ray Background Nanosatellite-2

Deployment of CXBN-2 with IceCube
Mission type	X-ray astronomy
Operator	Morehead State University
COSPAR ID	1998-067LM
SATCAT no.	42704
Website	CXBN-2
Mission duration	1 year, 9 months and 13 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	CXBN-2
Spacecraft type	2U CubeSat
Manufacturer	Morehead State University
Dry mass	2.8kg
Dimensions	10 x 10 x 20 cm
Power	15W
Start of mission
Launch date	April 18, 2017 (2017-04-18)
Rocket	ULA Atlas-5 401
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41
Contractor	United Launch Alliance via ELaNa
Deployed from	International Space Station
Deployment date	May 16, 2017 (2017-05-16)
End of mission
Disposal	Re-entry
Last contact	March 1, 2019 (2019-03-01)
Decay date	March 1, 2019 (2019-03-01)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Altitude	~400 kilometres (250 mi)
Inclination	51.6°
Transponders
Band	UHF, S band
Instruments
Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector, magnetometer

Cosmic X-ray Background Nanosatellite-2 (CXBN-2 or CXBN 2) was a satellite and mission developed by the Morehead State University to follow up on the CXBN mission launched in 2012. It was an improved version of the previous spacecraft and it increased the precision of measurements of the cosmic X-ray background in the 30-50 keV range and helped to improve understanding of the early universe.

Objectives

The CXBN-2 mission was created in order to map the extragalactic cosmic X-ray background with the use of a Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detector. Compared to its predecessor, its CZT detector had twice the detection area. It allowed for a new, high-precision measurement of the X-ray background. It helped improve understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe through research on high-energy background radiation. It collected 3 million seconds of data throughout its lifetime.

Design

The CXBN-2 satellite was a Sun-pointing spin-stabilized 2U CubeSat which had four solar panels which provided 15W of power. It had a 2-wall structure and braces to reinforce its body. When it was in its compact form, it occupied a volume of 10 x 10 x 20cm.

It had two transceivers in the Ultra high frequency and S bands for radio communication.

Instruments

CXBN-2 contained a Cadmium Zinc Telluride Array as its X-ray detector and a magnetometer on board.

Launch and mission

Main article: Cygnus OA-7

Launch of Cygnus OA-7

Cygnus OA-7 launched on April 18, 2017 as the eighth flight of the Cygnus Orbital ATK uncrewed orbital spacecraft and its seventh flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services. On April 22, 2017, the Cygnus spacecraft docked with the ISS.

On May 16, 2017, the CXBN-2 satellite was deployed from the ISS via the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer along with several other CubeSats. On March 1, 2019, it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.