SNAPPY

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SNAPPY [NASA]

SNAPPY (Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics CubeSat) is a 3U Cubesat technology demonstration nanosatellite developed by Wichita State University for the United States. The spacecraft was launched to test a prototype solar neutrino detector in low Earth polar orbit. The mission is intended to evaluate whether neutrino detectors can operate effectively in space and support future missions closer to the Sun.

The mission investigates the feasibility of detecting solar neutrinos outside Earth-based underground observatories. SNAPPY carries a prototype detector weighing about 0.23 kg, consisting of four crystals enclosed in an epoxy shielding block loaded with tungsten dust to achieve a density similar to steel. Scientists aim to characterize background radiation and other energetic interactions in orbit that could imitate genuine neutrino events. The mission will help determine whether larger neutrino observatories positioned nearer the Sun could be practical in the future.

The concept originated from interest in NASA�s Parker Solar Probe mission. Wichita State University professor Nick Solomey proposed that a spacecraft operating close to the Sun could encounter solar neutrino flux levels roughly 1,000 times stronger than those reaching Earth. Because neutrinos interact only weakly with matter, current terrestrial detectors must be installed deep underground to reduce interference from cosmic radiation. A successful orbital demonstration could therefore open a new approach to neutrino astronomy and solar physics.

The CubeSat platform was supplied by Kongsberg NanoAvionics. NASA�s Marshall Space Flight Center designed and built the detector electronics and readout cards, while graduate students at Wichita State University developed payload-computer software interfacing with the instrument electronics. Launch integration services were provided by Exolaunch.

SNAPPY is a CubeSat-class spacecraft operating in low Earth polar orbit. The payload comprises four detector crystals, dedicated power and readout electronics, and tungsten-loaded shielding material intended to reduce false detections from ambient radiation. The mission was supported through NASA�s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which awarded the project Phase I funding in 2018, Phase II funding in 2019, and Phase III funding in 2021 to mature the concept toward an orbital flight demonstration.

The spacecraft was launched aboard a Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base.