This first endeavor resulted in a Cryogenic Densitometer using a crystal at 20 Kelvin on board a Saturn rocket to measure the density of N₂ at extremely high altitudes.

Early QCM Sensor heads, models MK 1 through MK 7, were developed for NASA Marshall and McDonnell Douglas in 1971 and 1972 for the Skylab program, ATM, and AM/EREP, and for Air Force Satellites through Lockheed Missiles and Space and Aerojet Corporation.

At that point, it became clear that the concept needed to be developed in various stages. First to come was a standard QCM, the MK 9 QCM Sensor, with a temperature range from 80K to 373K, or to 10K with a Low Temperature Hybrid Chip. Second, a smaller, passive, cryogenic version of the QCM that would operate over the range of temperature from 5K to 398K was added: the MK 8 QCM, winner of the IR-100 award, later our MK 15 QCM, and ultimately, the MK 16 CQCM. In this QCM, which has since evolved into several variations (MK 17 through MK 19), the crystals can be raised in temperature by means of a built-in heater for the QTGA (QCM Thermogravimetric Analysis) operational mode, while the heat sink remains cold. Thirdly, a thermoelectrically-cooled TQCM was designed and built with a temperature range from 80K to 373K, for use in a materials lab or in space-flight: the MK 10 TQCM, and the MK 14 DTQCM which is impervious to solar thermal radiation. Recently, a new series of TQCMs, called the MK 20 TQCM series, has been released, which has a smaller profile than the MK 10, and also extends the range of mass detection by using 25MHz crystals.

Our most recent additions to the QCM line are the MK 21 QCM, a miniature QCM which evolved from the highly successful MK8 design, and the MK 22 Solar Impervious QCM, which is still in development at this time.

We can provide you with a Flight Electronics Unit (FEU), which will control and collect data from independent QCMs. This unit was designed for Single Event Upset (SEU) and to avoid Single Event Latchup (SEL). Documentation on this unit includes vibration (both random and sinusoidal), shock, hard radiation exposure, solar thermal radiation, acoustical wave transmission, EMC and thermal cycling. The read-out rate and interface are up to you.

The Model 2000 Control/Data Acquisition Unit can be used for controlling up to twelve QCMs of any combination of the various sensor models through the RS232 port of your lab computer. Our Model 1900 Signal Processor and our Model 1800 Thermal Controller for controlling the MK 10 and MK 14 TQCMs, are available for customers with a single QCM need.

We are also now able to provide the Vacuum Outgassing/Deposition Kinetics Apparatus (VODKA) as a turn-key unit. This high-vacuum apparatus has three or four MK 18 QCMs, an Effusion Cell, and optionally, a Mass Spectrometer and Krypton lamps, to characterize the various outgassing products, as a function of temperature, from a sample material that is destined for space use. This apparatus conforms with ASTM E 1559-93 which complements ASTM E595.

For those customers who need higher mass sensitivity and yet want to keep the stability and proven technology of QCM Research's QCM sensors, we have higher frequencies now available. Standard frequencies now are 3, 5, 10, 15 and 25 MHz. Custom projects can use frequencies from 100 MHz on up.

We were the co-investigators with Drs. R. Schall and E. Borson of Aerospace, supplying the MK9 QCMs and flight electronics for the LDEF Mission, launched by the Space Shuttle in 1978. We also supplied QCM systems for the same LDEF flight to MBB in Germany. For this experiment, atomic oxygen flux impinged on two leading edge QCMs, whose crystals were overcoated with Zinc Sulfide and Indium Oxide, while identical QCMs were protected from flux. We have six years of data from this flight and are in the process of analyzing it now.

We supplied two MK 10 TQCMs and a Signal Processor on-board Hughes Aircraft Company's Ion Propulsion experiment on the P-80 satellite in 1978, and two MK 10 TQCMs and a Flight Electronics Unit on the IAPS P-80 experiment for Hughes Space and Communications Division.

The European Space Agency contracted for the ECS-1 flight with three MK 9 QCMs in 1981.

In 1984, Dornier Aircraft Co. wanted to obtain thorough control of the contamination on their Rosat IR satellite. Our QCMs had to continuously monitor for any contamination, from the initial machining of the telescope to the assembly, fitup, installation in the satellite and finally, on-board monitoring throughout the flight.

A second flight contract with Hughes SCD provided four MK 10 TQCMs and a Flight Electronics Unit for the MMB2 Air Force Satellite in 1988.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) placed two of our MK 16 CQCMs on the End Effector (hand) of the Remote Manipulator System (arm) on-board Shuttle Flight STS-52 and several follow-on flights. The QCMs had a layer of material placed on the surface which was sensitive to the presence of atomic oxygen (O) so that the highly reducing atmosphere would, in effect, etch off the deposited material and cause the beat frequency to decrease. When CSA determined that they had finished with the experiment, NASA Johnson then directed the astronauts to explore the region that the arm could reach for contamination, specifically in the vicinity of the plume. In 1995, on a follow-on flight (STS-74), the same configuration was used when the shuttle positioned itself close to the Russian 13kg attitude control and reboost thrusters on the MIR Space Station to have the QCMs detect both transient and persistent surface contamination. NASA is continuing to use the QCMs on the arm to measure erosion rates by atomic oxygen in their Space Shuttle flights.

In 1993, we provided the Applied Physics Laboratories of the Johns Hopkins University with four MK 10 TQCMs, one MK 16 CQCM (for QTGA) and a Flight Electronics Unit for use on the Spirit III Satellite, called the MSX Experiment, launched in 1996.

That same year we completed a contract with TRW to supply four MK 10 TQCMs and a Flight Electronics Unit to fly in early 1994, but which is actually now scheduled to fly at a later date. The flight is the US Air Force's Plasma Jet flight, Electric Propulsion Space Experiment (ESEX).

We supplied the MK 17 CQCMs for the Space Active Modular Materials Experiment (SAMMES) from 1994 through 1997. This will eventually lead to twelve modular contamination units which may be attached to any available shuttle for affordable and frequent access to space for on-orbit testing of materials.

T&M Engineering, working in conjunction with the ESA, placed two of our MK 19 CQCMs on the Crystal Module of the Russian MIR Space Station in late 1995 to monitor contamination. The flight electronics unit is based on our standard M2000 Controller.

We provided MK 9 QCMs to Dornier for ESA's Ariane 5 project, which launched in 1996 and 1997. These, and all succeeding flights, will have QCMs both inside the payload area and attached to the skin.

On a recent interplanetary flight project, NASA Pathfinder Spacecraft, the Mars Rover has a MK 19 CQCM with the same field of view as the solar panel. The QCM has a sticky polymer on the surface to collect and measure small dust particles that land on the solar collector.

For the upcoming Ariane/ STENTOR flight, we are providing Aerospatiale with two customized MK 17 CQCMs which will be used to measure the erosion rate of selected materials, placed on the crystals of the QCMs, impacted by an ion thruster.

Other future flights we will be involved with include Mighty SAT 2 with Edwards AFB, as well as projects for Boeing, NASA MSFC and others.

In addition to space flight systems, we have supplied our customers throughout the world with a wide variety of QCM systems for ground-based facilities and experiments.

QCM RESEARCH is a small business concern specializing in customized QCM Systems and as such, we are ready to reply to your QCM needs.