CHATENAY-MALABRY, France, 1 June 2011.Space sensors experts at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. in Guildford, England, needed shortwave infrared (SWIR) sensors for the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) payload on the European Space Agency's Sentinel 5 Precursor satellite. They found their solution from Sofradir in Chatenay-Malabry, France.Sofradir will deliver off-the-shelf 1000-by-256-pixel mercury cadmium telluride SWIR sensor arrays to Surrey Satellite for the Sentinel 5 Precursor satellite's TROPOMI payload -- an ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared imaging spectrometer that will measure the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere, particularly ozone, NO2, So2, BrO, formaldehyde, and aerosols.The Sentinel 5 Precursor satellite will part of the European Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. The Sentinel 5 Precursor satellite is set for launch in 2014.
Sofradir will provide an uncooled SWIR array for the TROPOMI sensor payload, which will receive passive cooling in the satellite. The uncooled version is more reliable and uses less power than a cooled SWIR array, Sofradir officials say.
For more information contact Sofradir online at www.sofradir.com, Surrey Satellite at www.sstl.co.uk, or the European Space Agency at www.esa.int.
