Detector development activities supported by the European Space Agency

Abstract

Detectors play a crucial role for the instrument design and the achievable instrument performance. The wavebands of interest for remote sensing are the visible and the infrared. Therefore, the European Space Agency has a strong interest in the performance enhancement of detector arrays in those spectral ranges. The Agency follows a continuous development strategy to enhance the capabilities for future Earth observation and astronomy missions. This paper presents the technical and planning status of these detector technology development activities.