The emergence of optical thermal sensors widely used in automotive and security systems has made this technology very affordable, less energy consuming and more compact. Based on this recent evolution, ONERA has been working for the past few years on innovative designs of infrared and multispectral cameras, cooled and uncooled, fitting small volume. For Cubesat applications, ONERA also develops calibration setup for infrared payloads.
Finally, ONERA contributes to the payload downsizing development adapted to Cubesat by designing new telescopes based on freeform reflective surfaces [1]. As an example, this type of design allows a common fore optics for a bi-spectral instrument with a reduced mass and volume.
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| Layout of a multi spectral band solution with a dichroic filter |
[1] L. Duveau et al., Design strategies of an unobscured three mirror telescope with freeform surfaces for infrared nanosatellite imagery, ICSO 2020, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 11852, 118520C