Scientific Solutions, Inc. Spectroscopic Devices and Consulting. Optical system design.

Products: Scientific Solutions, Inc. (SSI) specializes in the fabrication of Liquid Crystal Fabry-Perot (LCFP) tunable optical filters, Air-Gap Fabry-Perot Interferometers, Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometers (SHS), Space Weather instrumentation, and innovative Software.

Welcome to Scientific Solutions

All Sky Imager: Our newest product. A small all-sky imager capable of imaging low intensity airglow or astronomical features. A filter wheel that holds 5 2” diameter interference filters allows all-sky monochromatic images at select wavelengths to be collected ideal for airglow observations, astronomical seeing calculations, aerosol observations and environmental monitoring. Comes complete with netbook computer and imaging software. [More]

JGR: SPACE PHYSICS: [February, 2013] Enhancements of nighttime neutral and ion temperatures in the F region over Millstone Hill.

Nighttime ion temperature in the F region is generally thought to be close to neutral temperature at a similar altitude. However, few studies have been conducted that explore the temporal variation between ion and neutral temperatures at night in the F region. In this paper, the similarities and differences of the nighttime ion and neutral temperatures in the F region over Millstone Hill (42.5N, 71.5W) were examined using the incoherent scatter radar and Fabry-Pérot interferometer observations during the periods of 1–11 August 2011 and 12–23 January 2012, which represented summer and winter seasons, respectively. Our results showed that in winter, both neutral and ion temperatures exhibited the postmidnight enhancements, which occurred during 3–4 LT and had amplitudes of about 30–90 K. [Read More, PDF]

The Boston Globe: [November 28, 2011] Shoe box-size satellites one of the next big things.

Relatively low cost could even let a high school class send one into an Earth orbit. The EXOCUBE, a shoe-boxed sized satellite, being developed by Scientific Solutions, Inc, is designed to observe the ionesphere, a charged layer in the upper part of the Earth's atmosphere. [Read Full Article]

Picture by The Boston Globe

The Chelmsford Independent [November 25, 2011] Chelmsford, MA company taking a lead in modern satellite production

From their office in an old textile mill, Scientific Solutions is collaborating with scientists in California, Wisconsin and Illinois to create a low-cost, miniaturized satellite capable of relaying measurements of upper atmospheric density to stations on the ground. [Read Full Article]

Photo by Justin Foley

SSI Space Optics: [Sept. 2011] SSI is proud to be chosen to provide the F/1, UV coated, OAP primary mirror for the SRI CTIP photometer on the Boeing SENSE Satellite.

technician aligning SSII's OAP UV mirror

Technician aligning SSI's OAP UV photometer mirror in preparation for vibration testing.

(Oct 2011) Scientific Solutions, Inc., (SSI) of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a small satellite contract from the Atmospheric and Geospace Science division of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The EXOCUBE satellite, for studying the uppermost levels of the Earth's atmosphere, is designed as an innovative small satellite about the size of a milk carton, and follows the NSF and Department of Defense’s initiative to develop CubeSats science missions. CubeSats are very small (~10 cm cubed), very light (=1 kg) satellites which allow for more efficient, pervasive, and cost-effective research from Earth orbit. [Full Press Release]

SSI Wins R&D100 Award: SSI received a prestigious R&D100 Award for its new Segmented Tunable Filter, distinguishing it as one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year. This electro-optical filter is an innovation capable of simultaneously collecting spatial and spectral information while providing high spectral resolution and rapid tuning. Based on Fabry-Perot technology, this next-generation tunable optical filter achieves multiple, independently tunable filter segments on a single substrate. The patented technology is intended for use as the key dispersive element in hybrid multi-spectral imaging systems. [Full Press Release]

Breakthrough LCFPs Now In Stock: Recent LCFP production breakthrough has allowed for the creation of etalons with unprecedented Free Spectral Ranges, as large as 86nm in the NIR. We have added some of these new LCFPs to our inventory of products currently in stock. Do you need a tunable etalon right now? These LCFPs are on our shelves and ready to ship immediately. They can be packaged with or without external housings, thermal stability or fiber couplings. Contact us by phone at (978) 251-4554 x7011 or by email for more details, or order online through our secure webstore.

SSI News: SSI is honored to receive a prestigious R&D100 Award for its new Segmented Tunable Filter, distinguishing it as one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year. This electro-optical filter is an innovation capable of simultaneously collecting spatial and spectral information while providing high spectral resolution and rapid tuning. Based on Fabry-Perot technology, this next-generation tunable optical filter achieves multiple, independently tunable filter segments on a single substrate. The patented technology is intended for use as the key dispersive element in hybrid multi-spectral imaging systems. [Full Press Release]

SSI News: The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a Phase I SBIR to SSI to develop a Fabry-Perot Spectrometer for Oxygen A-Band Research (FABSOAR). This instrument will offer 100x more throughput than a grating spectrometer thus allowing for 60x faster detection of bright daytime spectra, and even better detection of dimmer twilight spectra. In addition to its role in atmospheric research, this technology has significant commercial potential in both United States Government (USG) and private sector markets. FABSOAR can be tailored for use in a variety of different applications including atmospheric remote sensing, environmental trace-gas and chemical sensing, detection and monitoring, and LIDAR.

SSI News: SSI is proud to unveil two new innovative software packages designed to make Fabry-Perot use easier than ever before. Whether you are at an observatory or in a university laboratory, these new powerful software packages will significantly simplify the use of Fabry-Perot Interferometer systems and facilitate FP fringe analysis. FringeTool allows users to manipulate and analyze FITS-format Fabry-Perot interference fringe images. ImageTool is an integrated image acquisition and analysis software package for astronomy and aeronomy observations using SSI's Space Weather instrumentation. ImageTool also lets users interface with a wide variety of spectroscopic and imaging cameras.

SSI News: SSI is designing a new class of hyperspectral imager (HSI) specifically optimized for CubeSat testbed implementation (C-HSI) based on the robust, very spaceworthy monolithic SHS. Sensing platforms can extract maximum information from target scenes by acquiring high-resolution imagery in simultaneous spatial and spectral dimensions. A HSI acquires multi-wavelength 2-D spatial images by orienting a slit aperture orthogonal to the vehicle velocity vector in a push broom configuration. Distribution of multiple HSIs on a fleet of CubeSats can provide global coverage unavailable with single satellite orbital platforms and provide a novel architecture for multiwavelength target discrimination and 3-D target reconstruction.

SSI Brochure: SSI's brochure serves as a compact Fabry-Perot reference handbook in addition to outlining the specifications of our next-generation optical instruments. The full-color brochure includes a brief Fabry-Perot 101 and a detailed crash course in Fabry-Perot Fundamentals. It goes on to describe our Air Gap Fabry-Perot Interferometers, LCFP tunable filters, precision control systems, acquisition and analysis software, Space Weather instrumentation, and several cutting-edge innovations. If you have not yet received your FREE copy, please send us an email with your mailing address or download an electronic copy.