GRIPS CONSISTS OF A SPECTROMETER CRYOSTAT EQUIPPED WITH POSITION-SENSITIVE GERMANIUM DETECTORS (3D-GED) AND A THICK TUNGSTEN GRID MOUNTED ON AN EIGHT-METER BOOM THE MULTI-PITCH ROTATING MODULATOR (MPRM). AS A HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON PAYLOAD GRIPS RECENTLY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT FROM ANTARCTICA. DURING THE FLIGHT TWO MAJOR ELECTRON PRECIPITATION EVENTS EACH LASTING SEVERAL HOURS WERE RECORDED IN THE 3D-GED AND IN THE BGO ANTI-COINCIDENCE SHIELDS. HOWEVER ONLY SMALL TO MEDIUM SOLAR FLARES OCCURRED DURING THE FLIGHT AND NONE PRODUCED ENOUGH COUNTS TO BE IMAGED BY GRIPS. AT THE END OF THE FLIGHT ALL DATA VAULTS WERE PROMPTLY RECOVERED BUT THE REST OF THE PAYLOAD HAD TO SPEND THE ANTARCTIC WINTER ON THE ICE. IN ORDER TO FINALIZE THE VALIDATION OF THE GRIPS CONCEPT AND IN PREPARATION FOR ITS NEXT ITERATION AND A FUTURE SPACECRAFT VERSION WE SEEK FUNDING TO: 1) REFURBISH THE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM ANTARCTICA GRIPS EQUIPMENT; 2) EVALUATE THE POSSIBILITY OF REPLACING THE CURRENT GRIPS GED ASICS BY NEWER ONES RECENTLY DEVELOPED BY THE NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (NRL); 3) COMPLETE THE VALIDATION OF GRIPS'S X-RAY IMAGING CAPABILITIES BY EXPOSING THE GRID AND DETECTOR ASSEMBLY TO RADIOACTIVE SOURCES FOR BOTH SETS OF ASICS.