The objective is to develop technologies enabling high performance multispectral imagers for microsatellites, such as new generation CCD-in-CMOS TDI detectors, free form optics, and high-speed read-out electronics based on COTS radiation tolerant design.

The development of miniaturized high performance avionics allows the building of microsatellites platforms with the high pointing stability and accuracy. This new generation of microsatellites could embark high-resolution optical systems, but given limited volume and power, the instrument will be limited in SNR. A new generation of hybrid detectors, known as CCD-in-CMOS detectors, can allow circumventing SNR limitations by operating in Time Delay Integration (TDI). This type of operation was, until recently, limited to CCD detectors that are very costly and power hungry. Recent CCD-in-CMOS detectors developed for industrial applications open the possibility to build a new generation of optical instruments for remote sensing. Furthermore, new materials and processes for manufacturing free form and highly aspherical mirrors allows new highly performing telescopes that can fit in the limited volume of a microsatellite, i.e. 300 x 400 x 900 mm^3. ;

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Concerning read-out electronics and on board data handling, the use of COTS components provide sufficient data rate and processing capabilities to operate the detectors at the frequency required in high resolution instruments. Therefore, the electronic design based on COTS components has to be ruggedized to be radiation tolerant and to operate in vacuum. The work performed in this activity shall provide a design solution for a compact, lightweight and cost effective system. Furthermore, the telescope assembly design shall be optimized to reduce the recurrent costs and to maximize the thermal stability to simplify the telescope thermal management. To fulfill these requirements, the optical design will leverage on recent developments done in the field of innovative materials for space optics and free form design and manufacturing methodologies. All these technologies will be used to manufacture and test an elegant breadboard of the payload system, named for brevity MicroMHiDe.

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The objective of the activity is to demonstrate that a solution based on this innovative concept can compete in the emerging market of microsatellites remote sensing. The design solution of MicroMHiDe shall be cost driven while delivering high-end performances. The activity shall cover the following tasks: ;

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