Safran Reosc targets Earth observation with its first SEEING 130 compact imager

Safran Reosc expands its portfolio of high-performance optics, targeting new markets! With its first SEEING 130 Wide, delivered to the Norwegian Defense Research Institute on May 12^th, Safran Reosc has entered the market for integrated optical instruments, combining its expertise in mirror design and production, opto-mechanical assembly, and coupling to an electro-optical sensor, also called a detector. This is a real step forward in the diversification of Safran Reosc's offer, which has historically been known for large-scale optics for exploring the farthest reaches of the universe.

(To learn more: Listen to our podcast on Safran and the James Webb Telescope)

A compact imager for maritime surveillance

In just three years, Safran Reosc teams designed and built the SEEING 130 Wide, an original, unique and very compact instrument, with a volume of just a few tens of cm3. This is a major achievement in terms of miniaturization and optical precision, enabling the instrument to be mounted on satellites known as "cubesats", i.e. satellites the size of a few shoeboxes.

SEEING 130 Wide will allow satellites orbiting the Earth at altitudes of 500 to 800 km to take images over a very large area with sufficient image accuracy for the intended application: the Norwegian customer will use this instrument to observe polar sea routes that are constantly changing due to ice cover.

Its cousin, the SEEING 230 Ident, is currently under development. With a much higher image resolution, it will meet the needs of "high-resolution" Earth observation, including urban planning, economic intelligence and strategic intelligence.

Because of their compact design, the SEEING family of instruments addresses the "New Space" market: the rapid production at low cost of systems that are powerful enough to carry out a mission without going through the usual long space cycles.

Remarkable technical prowess

To successfully complete this project, Safran Reosc teams had to meet a number of challenges, including:

- Remarkable precision in polishing the optical components: the telescope's remarkable performance is made possible by the meticulous polishing of the optical elements, carried out on a scale of a few nanometers.

- A very precise integration of the instrument: once polished, the optical elements are assembled and aligned with each other with a few micron accuracy.

- The realization of a complete instrument: the innovation here lies in the design and manufacture of a complete instrument, consisting of a telescope and an imaging sensor, thus offering the customer a complete solution.

"I would like to congratulate the entire team, engineers and technicians, for the great work they have done. It is thanks to them that this project has become a reality. This instrument will be the first full-featured imager bearing the Safran signature to be placed in orbit" said Xavier Bozec, head of the Space program at Safran Reosc.

The launch is scheduled for late 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket!