Teledyne Space Imaging Sensors launch aboard European Space Agency’s SMILE Mission

Teledyne Space Imaging has supplied two CCD370 imaging sensors for the Soft X-ray Imager on the European Space Agency’s SMILE mission (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer). SMILE successfully launched at 04:52 BST from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

SMILE is a scientific collaboration designed to advance understanding of space weather and the interaction between the Sun and Earth. SMILE will use four science instruments to study how Earth responds to solar wind, improving our understanding of solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and the wider science of space weather.

At the heart of the mission’s Soft X-ray Imager are two CCD370 imaging sensors from Teledyne Space Imaging, which will capture soft X-ray emissions generated as solar wind particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field. The sensors will observe photons with energies from 0.2 to 2.0 keV, enabling scientists to study the boundary regions where the solar wind meets Earth’s magnetosphere and gain new insights into the processes shaping our planet’s space environment.

“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.”

All design, manufacturing, test and qualification of the CCD detectors were carried out at Teledyne Space Imaging’s facility in Chelmsford, England.