Optical instruments heading in a new direction

摘要

Micro systems technology allows building ever-smaller systems. This has lead to many activities all over the world that are focused on building micro- and nano satellites. Most of these satellites are seen as technology qualifiers, meaning that they are used to prove that the developed technology can be used on board of spacecraft and can survive the launch environment. At this moment in time there is so much technology available and under development that one can start to think about building mature satellites on a micro scale (mature in the sense that the satellite can perform a scientifically or socially significant function). For satellites with an optical payload, a minimum aperture and baffle size are required, thus setting a minimum size for the satellite. The overall size of the satellite can be reduced by building the satellite around the instrument instead of building an instrument that is put on top of a satellite bus.