CNES Developments in Space Optics
Bruno Cugny
& Benoit Boissin (for Earth Observation) & CNES experts
B BOISSIN
CNES (DSP/OT)
SUMMARY
French Earth Observation Programme
Recent launches & new developments
French Science & Universe Programme
Examples of french contributions
Optical Telecommunications
System & propagation studies
French Earth Observation programme
Programme established :
For scientific needs, taking into account :
 Recommendations
of the 2009 prospective seminar (next one in 2014)
 Annual recommendations of a scientific committee (CPS, TOSCA committee)
For operational needs
 By
closed interaction with users :
 Defence
team, GMES, Météo France et Eumetsat….
Taking into account international context
(Earth watch-GMES, Earth Explorer...)
 Eumetsat programmes (MTG, Metop SG )
 Bilateral cooperation perspectives (Jason, Calipso, Altika, MEGHA-TROPIQUES,
CFOSAT, SWOT, Venus)
 ESA programmes
 Other
European programmes & competences in order to avoid duplications
Taking into account French competences (laboratories, industry, Cnes)
French Earth Observation programme
Cnes “traditional” positioning on optical systems
Mainly on :
High resolution optical system :
Land use, cartography, risk management : Spot, Pléiades
 Defence : Hélios1, Hélios 2, CSO

Passive Sounders : IASI

Operational meteorology (temperature and humidity profile), air quality
Specific passive radiometers : Scarab, Vegetation, Polder, Parasol, Venus

Operational meteorology, clouds & aerosols, ocean colour, vegetation, geology…
But also contribution on bus and satellite integration :

Active sounding mission (CNES/NASA) :
Calipso
Pleiades
Main Mission Requirements
Image characteristics

0.7 m Pan resolution at nadir

four XS bands (blue, green, red, near IR) : 2.8 m

20 km swath at nadir

Image location : better than 12m (CE 90%)

MTF better than 0,2

Signal to noise ratio better than 90
Revisit Capability

Daily accessibility to any point on the globe
(with 2 satellites)
Pleiades – spectral bands

Better than 24 hours between image request and image
delivery in nominal mode
Large coverage capability

In average 350 images per satellite and per day with only
Kiruna and Toulouse ground stations

And even better with Regional Image Receiving Stations
…
Normalized spectral sensivity
Improved access image delay
Wavelength
PLEIADES satellite
A new concept compared to Spot
 A small
and very agile satellite to improve
operational capability and minimize the
conflicts between users
Designed for an high agility
Antenna Support Struc
Instrument
 Compact
1 ton satellite with low inertia
 Rigid satellite with fixed solar array
 Attitude control system with powerful CMG
actuators
Designed for an high image quality
 High
stability instrument with high
precision sensor heads mounted on the
optical bench for maximum geometrical
quality accuracy
Control Moment Gyros
PLEIADES status
Launches
 First satellite launch from Kourou with Soyuz
launcher, 17th of December 2011
 Second satellite : ready for a launch December
1st of 2012
Technical Commissioning Review
Achieved on 3rd March 2012 for the first satellite
System declared operational
 March 2013 for the second satellite

Thematic Commissioning

End of the thematic commissioning : september
2013
See Pléiades presentations on Tuesday at 14:00
and Friday morning at 10:30 by P. Kubik (CNES)
Venµs
Israeli/French scientific mission
The mission goal is to acquire frequent, high
resolution, multi-spectral images of some sites
of interest all around the world
 High revisit frequency : 2 days
 Ground resolution : 5,3m
 Constant view angle and time of
acquisition
 near polar orbit, sun-synchronic, equator
crossing time: 10-12 AM
 High quality products
 Spectral richness : 12 (VIS-NIR)
 Continuous monitoring of sites every two
days over at least 2 years
 No global coverage
These capabilities do not exist with current
systems
 Mission start/duration: 2014 / 2.5 years
IASI
(Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer)
Joint project between CNES and Eumestat :
•Service continuity will be ensured up to 2020.
•Launched as a payload of the METOP-A
meteorological satellites at the end of 2006 (IASI-2
launched on 17th sept 2012 on METOP-B). Next
launch expected 2018 (?)
•Measurements of atmospheric radiances in more
than 8,000 infrared channels.
•Radiances assimilated by meteorologists into
operational weather forecasting models to derive
atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles.
•After one year of operation : a major advance in
weather forecasting.
•IASI data used also by scientists for atmospheric
chemistry studies.
French Earth Observation programme
Cnes future positioning
Very High resolution optical system
 To improve operational capability and decrease the cost of Pleiades/CSO type satellite,

Compact instrument to minimize mass and inertia : CXCI Techno Program
Passive Sounders
 New generation of IASI on Metop SG : IASI NG Phase A achieved

CO2 measurement : Microcarb Phase A in progress
Specific passive radiometers
 High resolution thermal infrared : Mistigri Phase A achieved

Hyperspectral : HYPXIM Phase 0 achieved

Ocean color from geostationnary orbit : Geocapi Phase 0 in progress
And also
Pursue cooperation on active sounding cooperation : MERLIN Phase A achieved
Develop competencies on Lidar technologies
Phase 0 achieved on Lidar Altimeter (two earth explorer proposals)
Phase 0 foreseen on Lidar sounding
•
•
•
•
CXCI : Main technical challenges
Telescope :
Compatibility with VEGA fairing (compactness)
 Ultra light mirrors technologies (>1,5 m with a
20kg/m2 target)
 Introduction of Active Optic in Instrument Design
 Internal metrology
 Mirror actuation
 Active Telescope Ground Demonstrator
definition is going on
Focal Plane :
Trade off : traditional TDI CCD vs TDI CMOS or
even CMOS matrix, CMOS TDI XS (5 bands)
See V. Costes oral presentation dedicated to
« Optical design of a compact telescope » on
Wednesday afternoon at 16:50
IASI – NG : New Generation
Based on IASI global heritage (system & hardware) but with improved performances
on radiometry, spectral resolution and absolute calibration (x2 improvement).
With many hardware challenges : detectors, mechanisms, metrology, on board
processing, active cooling …
CNES will fund (partially) and deliver 3 FMs to Eumetsat for Post EPS (Metop FO)
Strong competition is going on so that there will be no presentation during this
conference 
Kick off for phase B in july 2013 for a delivery expected before sept. 2018
MICROCARB
MicroCarb will measure vertically integrated CO2 concentration :
 to quantify CO2 surface fluxes at regional scales
 to identify and monitor global carbon sources and sinks
 Priority is given to precision on measurement (in ppm) rather than high spatial
resolution or sampling
Tradeoffs between Static Interferometer
(SIFTI) and grating spectrometer
with up to 3 spectral bands : 0,76 / 1,61 / 2,06 µ
=> Choice of a three bands
compact échelle spectrometer design
The instrument concept is compatible with
The Myriades Evolution platform
See oral presentation by V. Pascal
At 8:50 Thursday morning
MERLIN (METHANE MONITORING FROM SPACE)
MERLIN mission is a joint French-German cooperation, embarking a german IPDA
Lidar on a French micro satellite (Myriades Evolution)
Mission is focused on space-based measurement of spatial and temporal gradients of
atmospheric methane columns on a global scale.
MERLIN will be the first Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) LIDAR working
around 1,64 microns for greenhouse gas monitoring from space
Phase A achieved, ready to start phase B.
196 mm
See poster dedicated to Merlin in poster session
HYPXIM
HYPXIM : an advanced hyperspectral Satellite for environment, security and defence
-Enhanced spatial resolution up to 8 m with a swath of 16 km compatible with Pleiades
-Spectral continuum is required from VIS to SWIR with a spectral resolution of 10 nm
-Thanks to agility, higher revisit frequency in “on-event mode” (up to 3 days) for
Security and Defence and others actors
-Technological miniaturization which allows an innovative mini-satellite less than 800kg
-Multi-sensors fusion products using on board PAN and Hyperspectral data
Phase A decided from mid 2012-2015
French Science & Universe programme
Programme established :
For scientific needs, taking into account :
 Recommendations
of the 2009 prospective seminar (next one in 2014)
 Annual recommendations of a scientific committee (CPS, CERES committee)
-Astronomy and astrophysics
-Solar system
-Sun, heliosphere, magnetosphere
-Exobiology
-Fundamental physics
-Scientific contribution to the use of the ISS
Taking into account international context
(COSMIC Vision...)
 Bilateral cooperation perspectives (CHEMCAM, SVOM, INSIGHT …)
 ESA programmes
 Other
European programmes & competences in order to avoid duplications
Taking into account French competences (laboratories, industry, Cnes..)
CNES multilateral Programme
Microscope
TARANIS
2013
2014
2015
SVOM
CNES/CNSA/CAS
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
National or bilateral
Missions
2022
2023
2024
Fireball2
MAVEN (NASA)
PILOT
EUSOBallon
Hayabusa2
JAXA/DLR
INSIGHT (NASA)
Solar Probe Plus
(NASA)
Opportunity
Contributions
Contributions to ESA Scientific Programme
Astro-H
(JAXA)
2013
2014
2015
Microscope
(CNES)
2016
2017
JWST
(NASA)
2018
2019
SPICA
(JAXA)
2020
2021
2022
M1: Solar Orbiter
GAIA
Lisa Pathfinder
M2: EUCLID
Rosetta
Phase comète
BepiColombo
L1: JUICE
Opportunity
contributions
2023
2024
2025
M3
M4
ECHO
LOFT
MarcoPolo
PLATO
STE-QUEST
(end of 2013)
?
CHEMCAM
ChemCam is a LIBS Instrument mounted on the MSL 2011 NASA mission that
correctly landed on planet Mars this summer (August 6, 2012).
The laser transmitter of this Instrument has been developed by the French society
Thales Optronique (former Thales Laser) with a strong technical support from CNES
See oral presentation on first results and other perspectives
by B. Faure (CNES) on Thursday at 16:30
Phebus / Bepi Colombo
PHEBUS spectrometer (Probing Hermean Exosphere by
Ultraviolet Spectroscopy)
French PI instrument developped by LATMOS (France)
EUV-FUV spectrometer (55 to 315 nm + 404 & 422 nm)
with japanese detectors
Entrance baffle
Development is going on, QM/FM delivery 2013
Off axis parabolic mirror
Rotating mechanism
FUV detector
Entrance slit
NUV detector
Holographic gratings
EUV detector
SOLAR ORBITER
SOLAR Obiter = Cosmic mission ESA M1
French participation to payload confirmed by CNES last week.
French labs (IAS, LAM, LESIA, IRAP, CEA, LPP…) involved in
major SOLO instruments at different levels :
HRI
FSI
SOPHI : Polarimetric & Heliosismic Imager
EUI : Extreme UV Imager
IAS & IO :mirrors, filters wheel
IAS :Thermal oven, Fabry-pérot analyser
SPICE : Spectral Imaging of Coronal Envt
IAS :TVLS Filter grating (Jobin-Yvon)
Solar Orbiter - STIX
STIX : Spectrometer telescope for Imaging X-Rays
R&D and SIMBOL-X developments
Caliste 64 en test
CALISTE 64 DESIGN AND FABRICATION
CdTe 64-pixel detector
(1mm pitch, 1 or 2 mm thick)
IDeF-X V1.1 ASIC
16 analog channels
CALISTE 256
Mounting on PCB
4 ASIC Stacking
Electrical body
with a 7 x 7 PGA
Caliste 64 camera
Individual spectrum
-10°C, -400V, 241 Am

Low threshold ~1.5 keV

Ex. Pixel 1:
650 eV @ 13.94 keV
796 eV @ 59.54 keV

EUCLID
Euclid = Cosmic Vision ESA M2 :
a wide-field space mission dedicated to the high-precision study
of dark energy and dark matter
VIS (CEA)
Euclid will carry out an imaging and spectroscopic wide survey
of the entire extra-galactic sky (15000 deg2) along with a
NISP
deep survey covering 10-100 deg2
(CNES, LAM, CEA, CPPM/INPL)
The payload : a 1.2m diameter mirror telescope with two
channels: a VISible imaging channel (VIS) and a Near
Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer channel (NISP)
observing simultaneously the same Field of View on the sky
Calibration source (IAS)
Satellite to be launched in 2020; L2 location with a 6 years
mission lifetime
See presentations by E. Prieto (LAM) on Thursday 10:30 and
by R. Grange (LAM) on Thursday afternoon
PLATO : PLAnetary Transits and Oscillation of stars
Candidate to M3 in the ESA Cosmic Vision programme
Definition phase of the camera conducted by CNES & labs consortium from 2010 to 2011
See presentation by D. Laubier (CNES) on Tuesday morning at 11:30
STE-QUEST :
Space-Time Explorer and Quantum Test of the Equivalence Principle
Fondamental Physics Mission Candidate to M3 of the ESA Cosmic Vision programme
Possible French contribution based on Pharao heritage (Cs/Rb ?) and ICE project
(Interférométrie Cohérente pour l’Espace) where significative functional results were
achieved in 2010-2011 on zero-g airborne flight breadboard cold atoms interferometric
accelerometer (interferometric fringes with cold Rubidium)
Cold Atom interferometry
Pharao-like Atomic clock (Cs or Rb)
Comparison 85Rb vs 87Rb
ICE
See presentation by GAALOUL Naceur (Institute of Quantum Optics – G)
On Thursday morning at 8:30
TARANIS : Tool for the Analysis of RAdiations from
lightNIng and Sprites
See MCP (Microcameras and Photometers) presentation
by F. Le mer-Dachard (CNES) Tuesday morning at 11:10
Free Space Optical (FSO) transmission studies
 1982 Participation in definition of STAR equipment
(Silex Project)
2010-2012 Propagation Studies (with ONERA) in order to:
 Find optimum ground sites for FSO reception
(geographical diversity)
 Model atmospheric turbulence effects
 Characterize the degradation due to low elevation FSO transmission
2011 Study of Free Space Optical Transmission architecture at 1550nm
 Budget Link analysis
 Pointing Acquisition & Tracking (PAT) mechanism
study
 Identification of critical components for space
equipment
2012 Research on transmission schemes:
 Optimal modulation/coding for FSO transmission to increase transmitted data volume
End of 2012 - ...
 Experimenting with earth FSO transmission/reception
 Experiment transmission/reception with balloon and optical corner reflector for link budget
validation
 Propagation studies for simulator development
Space Scientific Missions of the French National Space Agency