The sensor constantly informs an onboard computer where the telescope is pointing. It was designed and built by ComDev, a Canadian aerospace company located in Cambridge, Ontario. The French Space Agency provided the diffraction gratings, which perform the critical task of breaking the far-ultraviolet light into component wavelengths for analysis. Dear Mom and Dad, School is great. Although the control team of the FUSE mission will be comprised of an experienced group of scientists, the program's officials said that Hopkins students also will play a pivotal role in the operation of the three-year space mission.
Students always benefit from the research going on at a university.
Moos said that students will assist in the planning of the mission and also will be involved with peripheral parts of the project, such as outreach and data analysis, working on Web pages and giving tours of the building. Students also might involve themselves with some aspect of the mission as part of their thesis work. However, Moos said, most of the vital elements of the mission will be handled by the core of experienced staff. This is a very expensive mission. Christina Oliveira, a graduate student from Portugal, is one of the students already taking part in the project.