SPIDR and the Search for Dark Matter...

The main mission of the SPIDR satellite is to measure the amount of hot (10⁵ to 10⁶ degree) gas found between galaxies in what is referred to as the inter galactic medium (IGM) The spectrum and intensity of the gases

(primarily five times ionized Oxygen and four times ionized Carbon) will be analyzed and the gathered data can be used to tell us how far away the gas is, and how much of it there is. With this information maps of the filamentary structure of the cosmic web can be made and used to shed light on many of the problems in cosmology and astronomy including the question of how much of the unobserved dark matter lay in this form of hot gas.

SPIDR and Galactic Research...

Not only will the SPIDR satellite be used to detect dark gasses between galaxies, but it will also be used to study objects closer to home. By examining interstellar gasses, the SPIDR program will be able to provide information on the fundamental cycles of matter as dictated by stellar evolution. Also SPIDR will be used to study the galactic halo, galactic supernovae remnants, and other nearby galaxies. Even closer yet, the SPIDR satellite will be used to study the "local bubble" in which our solar system resides.

A portion of the Inter Stellar medium that SPIDR will be used to study