Teledyne Space Imaging says two of its CCD370 imaging sensors have launched aboard the European Space Agency’s SMILE mission (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer), which lifted off at 04:52 BST from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
SMILE is a scientific collaboration intended to improve understanding of space weather and the interaction between the Sun and Earth. The mission will use four science instruments to study how Earth responds to the solar wind, with the aim of improving knowledge of solar storms, geomagnetic storms and broader space-weather processes that can affect technology and operations.
Teledyne’s sensors are part of SMILE’s Soft X-ray Imager, designed to capture soft X-ray emissions produced as solar wind particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field. The company said the sensors will observe photons with energies from 0.2 to 2.0 keV, supporting studies of boundary regions where the solar wind meets Earth’s magnetosphere.
“SMILE will provide scientists with a new perspective on the complex interaction between the Sun and Earth,” said David Morris, Chief Engineer at Teledyne Space Imaging. “Our CCD technology is enabling this mission to be the first to image Earth’s magnetosphere using X-ray light, helping scientists better understand the mechanisms behind space weather.”
“We are proud to play a pivotal role in this mission,” added Daniel Waller, Vice President and General Manager of Teledyne Space Imaging. “Understanding space weather helps protect our planet, the technology we rely on, and our astronauts in space. We have a long heritage of supporting major international space missions, including SMILE.”
Teledyne said design, manufacturing, test and qualification of the CCD detectors were carried out at its facility in Chelmsford, England.
