NI-CU Enhances EUCLID's Vision for Space Exploration

At the beginning of July, the European telescope EUCLID launched into space. The centerpiece is a high-resolution telescope equipped with two cameras: one for the visible wavelength range and one for the near-infrared range. For EUCLID, vH&S supplied the off-axis calibration unit NI-CU, which provides a stable light source with consistent brightness and color within the optical path. Its primary function is to ensure compensation for differences in sensitivity and dark current at a pixel-to-pixel level in a small-scale range. Without this compensation, EUCLID would transmit only noisy images to Earth. The NI-CU is now on board and is regularly utilized for calibration purposes. The light-emitting diodes and the entire device utilized therein underwent extensive testing and calibration to meet the demands of space.

Euclid is the second M-class mission in the ‘Cosmic Vision’ programme of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Links

• EUCLID, ESA, Infopage EUCLID
• DLR, DLR
• Perseus Cluster Image (ESA), ESA/Euclid