Cypress - High-Accuracy CMOS Image Sensors Fly Into Space On-Board European Space Agency's Proba-2 Satellite

Cypress also announced commercial availability of the HAS2 image sensor, the latest development in the Cypress STAR family of radiation-tolerant image sensors. The device has an array of 1024 x 1024 active pixels (18 µm) and it supports on-chip Non-Destructive Readout and multiple windowing. The HAS2 sensor is qualified for space applications in accordance with the ESA’s European Space Components Coordination (ESCC) standards. Cypress will demonstrate its industry-leading custom and standard CMOS image sensor solutions at VISION 2009 in Stuttgart, Germany from November 3-5, in Hall 6, stand C 23. For more information on Cypress’s CMOS image sensors visit www.cypress.com/go/ImageSensors or email imagesensors@cypress.com.

“We are excited to see our new HAS2 image sensors in space on the Proba-2 satellite,” said Georges Hiltrop, general manager of Cypress’s Image Sensor Business Unit. “The HAS2 demonstrates Cypress’s ability to develop leading-performance CMOS image sensors that meet the requirements of our customers’ most challenging applications.”

Cypress’s radiation-tolerant STAR-250 image sensor was originally developed for an optical inter satellite link. Currently it is mainly used for sun sensor applications. The device has an array of 512 x 512 pixels (25 µm). STAR-250 is qualified for space applications in accordance with ESA’s ESCC standards and is commercially available.

Cypress is a center of expertise for the design of CMOS image sensors for space applications such as star tracking, hyper spectral instrumentation, earth observation, sun sensors and scientific applications. Its high-end CMOS image sensors have proven their performance on numerous European space missions, including: TeamSat, XMM, Mars Express, PROBA-1, ROCKVISS (ISS), Columbus and GOCE. In addition to ESA projects, Cypress has a number of CMOS image sensor projects for space applications with other space organizations.

The Project for On Board Autonomy (Proba) satellites are part of the ESA’s In-orbit Technology Demonstration Program – missions dedicated to the demonstration of innovative technologies. In-orbit demonstration is the last step on the technology development ladder. New technology products need to be demonstrated in orbit, particularly when users require evidence of flight heritage or when there is a high risk associated with use of the new technology. In-orbit demonstration is achieved through experiments on carriers such as the International Space Station, or through dedicated small satellites such as the Proba series, which was created to increase availability of flight-testing opportunities. The Proba satellites are among the smallest ever to be flown by the ESA, but they are making a big impact in space technology. Proba-2 is the second of the series, building on nearly eight years of successful Proba-1 experience.

Altogether, 17 new technological developments and four scientific experiments are being flown on Proba-2. The technology demonstrations and scientific experiments that use Cypress image sensors are:
• A new star tracker development by SELEX Galileo being test-flown before use on the BepiColombo mission with the HAS2 image sensor.
• A digital sun sensor, developed by TNO using the STAR-250 image sensor.
• A scientific experiment with an extreme-ultraviolet telescope (SWAP) using the HAS2 image sensor that will make measurements of the solar corona in a very narrow band. The Centre Spatial de Liège is the lead institute on the experiment supported by the Royal Observatory of Belgium, along with an industrial team comprising several companies including Cypress.