Engineers with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) needed infrared sensors for a satellite. They found a solution with DRS Technologies, Parsippany, N.J.

DRS technicians will make advanced infrared sensor modules supporting the Wide-field Infrared Survey Experiment (WISE) mission of the NASA Medium Explorer program. WISE is an unmanned satellite carrying an infrared-sensitive telescope that will capture images of the entire sky. The mission will provide a complete stellar infrared map that is more than 1,000 times more detailed than previous surveys.

The Space Dynamics awarded the $5.4 million contract to DRS Laboratory of the Utah State University Research Foundation in North Logan, Utah.

For this award, DRS will design and deliver short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) and very long-wavelength infrared (VLWIR) focal-plane-array (FPA) sensor modules, as well as accompanying readout electronics. Work will be done at the company’s DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems unit in Cypress, Calif. Delivery will be finished by June.

The Space Dynamics Lab is providing the WISE science instrument, instrument integration and launch support. The WISE instrument is a cryogenically cooled infrared telescope with four, high-resolution infrared bands covering 2.8 to 28.0 microns that will take overlapping snapshots of the entire sky. WISE is expected to launch at the end of 2007. For more information, see www.drs.com.