Hello Space Geeks,

My name is Lakshmi Raju. I am a junior at the Alabama High School of Fine Arts, Birmingham in the Math/Science Department. Recently I made an inexpensive spectrophotometer to measure the absorption of light in different concentrations of solutions given a set of standards of known concentrations. The data was collected in the form of a JPEG image of the emission that was diffracted through a diffraction grating. I created a MATLAB program to analyze the image for absorption levels and deduce concentrations. This low cost spectrophotometer can be used in teaching and learning principles of spectrophotometry and the application of MATLAB in schools. Now I am in the process of creating a low-cost spectrometer for the JURBAN team for the Google Lunar X Prize to detect water on the moon. The principle of this spectrometer is that water absorbs specific wavelengths of light and by analyzing the spectral details of the light; presence of water can be tested. My plan is to make an initial prototype to demonstrate the proof of principle and thereafter, to make the spectrometer to the needed specifications. I am currently putting the pieces together and I hope to update soon on a working model of the initial prototype.

Thanks,
Lakshmi Raju

P.S. -- She is 15 years old, and doing all the research and prototyping manufacturing herself.

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