Sofradir, a global leader in designing and manufacturing high quality infrared technologies, announced that two of its large format infrared detectors were put into orbit onboard the PRISMA (PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa) satellite launched on the Vega rocket from the Kourou, French Guiana Space Center.
PRISMA is a five-year program spearheaded by the Italian Space Agency, formed through a temporary joint venture of companies led by OHB Italia, which was responsible for the mission, managing three main segments: ground, flight and launch. It was joined by Leonardo, responsible for building the electro-optical hyperspectral instrumentation and on-board equipment such as solar panels and the power supply unit.
PRISMA will conduct the Earth observation mission, monitoring interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere for the purposes of detecting potential natural disasters, monitoring crops, surveilling mines, tracking soil pollution and delivering humanitarian aid. The PRISMA satellite will orbit at an altitude of 615 kilometers at speeds of 27,000 kph, capturing up to 223 images of 30 km x 30 km scenes per day.
Sofradir’s role began in 2007 when it was contracted by Leonardo, the prime contractor for the construction of the hyperspectral instrument, to design two types of infrared detectors for integration in the instrument itself: a Saturn 1000 x 256 SWIR detector with 30μm pitch and a usable spectral band of 0.9 μm to 2.5 μm, and a Saturn 1000 x 256 VISIR detector with 30μm pitch and a usable spectral band of 0.4 μm to 1.1 μm.
“Sofradir is thrilled to have delivered on the PRISMA project, designed to help scientists make new environmental discoveries about our planet,” said Philippe Chorier, head of business development for space activity at Sofradir. “It also gave us a unique opportunity to develop the new passive cooling packaging for the Saturn detector and test the IR detector’s performance in all the types and levels of radiation encountered in space.”
Each detector is assembled in a helium-filled passive enclosure delivered without a cooling system. The detector is cooled onboard the satellite by a passive heat-transfer system that consists of a radiator facing cold space, which is linked to the detector by a thermal link.
The hyperspectral imager will capture information revealing the shape of objects and use each one’s unique spectral signature to identify its chemical make-up. The instrument will be able to capture 239 spectral bands, each less than 12 nanometers wide, in the SWIR and visible range.
Rheinmetall House in Bristol, UK, has officially opened as the new headquarters for Vehicle Systems International (VSI), following its recent…
SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC) wishes to announce that it has agreed with Pratt and Whitney (PW) to exit from…
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has entered into a multi-year engine services agreement with Indian regional airline FLY91 for the…
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully completed the maiden flight of the first Series Production Tejas Mk-1A light fighter (LA5033).…
Fincantieri and the Indonesian Ministry of Defence signed a 1.18-billion-euro contract for the supply of two Thaon di Revel-class Multipurpose…
UVision USA and Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) signed a collaboration agreement to manufacture the Hero 120 Loitering Munition system…
Survitec, a provider of critical safety and survival solutions, has secured a significant contract to equip five Type 31 Frigates…
Spire Global, Inc., a provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services, has announced a deal with South Korea’s HANCOM…
Emirates has commenced its Neste fuel agreement at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport this month, with over 2 million gallons of Sustainable…
AirAsia Malaysia announced the resumption of its Kuala Lumpur-Vientiane route commencing on 2nd July 2024 on Tuesday (Mar. 26). This…
A new A321-200PF freighter joined the Royal Jordanian (RJ) fleet on March 24, bolstering its capacity to meet the cargo…
Jordan Airmotive and National Airlines have expanded their partnership with a CF6-80C2B5F engine sale. Jordan Airmotive is an engine MRO…
The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) commenced the steel-cutting ceremony for its inaugural Kapal Cepat Rudal (KCR / Fast Missile Boat) of…
Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, has appointed David McBride as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). McBride will…
Northrop Grumman and Diehl Defence have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing their commitment to work together to support…
Collins Aerospace unveiled its Venue smart monitor at the recent Aircraft Electronics Association Convention & Trade Show's new product introduction…
Raytheon has been awarded a US$1.2 billion contract to supply Germany with Patriot air and missile defense systems. The systems…
Airbus Defence and Space has revealed its plans to acquire INFODAS, a Cologne-based company specialising in cybersecurity and IT solutions…
Boeing has announced that its current President & CEO Dave Calhoun will step down at the end of 2024; Calhoun…
VITEC, a multinational Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) technology company, is set to bring its streaming technologies at…
The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) announced a contract awarded to Rheinmetall for the "Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie (Heavy Weapon Carrier for…
Korean Air is set to finalize a contract with Airbus for the acquisition of 33 A350 family aircraft. The agreement…
The Indonesian Army's 13th Cavalry Battalion has officially welcomed nine Harimau tanks into its arsenal. The induction ceremony took place…
Naval Group commenced the steel-cutting ceremony for the first third-generation French SSBN (SNLE 3G) at the group’s shipyard in Cherbourg…
Vietnam's leading budget airline, Vietjet, continues its expansion into the Australian market with the introduction of a new direct flight…
MRO company AAR has signed a multi-year agreement to supply surplus material for the CFM56-5B engine to Cebu Pacific. Under…
Embraer hosted the C-390 Millennium and A-29 Super Tucano of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) at Embraer Executive Jets' headquarters…
Terma's SCANTER 4002 radars have been selected by Belgian Defence to enhance the nation's airspace surveillance capabilities at both military…
MBDA, manufacturer of missiles and missile systems, has joined Egypt International Airshow (EIAS) as Platinum Sponsor that will take place…
Eve Air Mobility's Urban Air Traffic Management (Urban ATM) software has been named Vector. According to the company, Vector will…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.