Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VIDEO (Video Imaging Demonstrator for Earth Observation)
Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2021-05-31
Earth observation images taken by satellites flying into space show the world in so many ways and provide vital information. Satellite images can show environmental changes occurring gradually, like the spread of air pollution over a certain continent.
Video observation is the next step: it will allow monitoring of events along time, for varied applications from environment (evolution of fires, floods, deforestation, maritime disatsters…) to regulation (ship identification, fight of maritime piracy…).
The EU-funded VIDEO project is thus developing the next generation of instruments for Earth observation: the VIDEO instrument will have the capability to perform high-resolution video monitoring on an extremely wide scene.
Its novel architecture is based Thales Alenia Space’s exclusive patent combining freeform mirrors in a smart compact optical combination and state-of-the-art technologies for mirrors (freeforms), structures (additive manufacturing of a material with low thermal expansion), detection (new generation Gigapyx sensor) and processing chain (detection and compression).
The VIDEO instrument is the future of small and compact instruments: it will have the capability to supply high resolution images as well as video monitoring on an extremely wide scene. The field of view for this imager will be about 10 times higher in surface than a classical instrument using the same volume without freeform.
And due to the AlSi-based material for mirrors and structure, the instrument will be one of the best in class in terms of demisability compared to similar concept in ceramic solutions; in the perspective of future small satellite observation constellations, it will be a strong argument.
Finally, combining the telescope with the Gigapyx sensor’s performances in terms of size and dynamic acquisition and high-efficiency image compression and detection capability, the instrument will be the most advanced in its generation.
An end-to-end ground demonstration with a downscaled demonstrator instrument will be performed at the end of the project inThales Alenia Space's facilities to demonstrate the capacity of a European supply chain to Produce, Assemble, and Test a state-of-the-art VIDEO instrument.
Partners involved in the project are all from the European space industry value chain: the consortium includes six entities from three different European countries, combining the skills of academics and SMEs, and three large industrial companies. The project coordinator, Thales Alenia Space, is a Large system integrator for spacecraft, renowned for its specialty in optical instruments.
Video observation is the next step: it will allow monitoring of events along time, for varied applications from environment (evolution of fires, floods, deforestation, maritime disatsters…) to regulation (ship identification, fight of maritime piracy…).
The EU-funded VIDEO project is thus developing the next generation of instruments for Earth observation: the VIDEO instrument will have the capability to perform high-resolution video monitoring on an extremely wide scene.
Its novel architecture is based Thales Alenia Space’s exclusive patent combining freeform mirrors in a smart compact optical combination and state-of-the-art technologies for mirrors (freeforms), structures (additive manufacturing of a material with low thermal expansion), detection (new generation Gigapyx sensor) and processing chain (detection and compression).
The VIDEO instrument is the future of small and compact instruments: it will have the capability to supply high resolution images as well as video monitoring on an extremely wide scene. The field of view for this imager will be about 10 times higher in surface than a classical instrument using the same volume without freeform.
And due to the AlSi-based material for mirrors and structure, the instrument will be one of the best in class in terms of demisability compared to similar concept in ceramic solutions; in the perspective of future small satellite observation constellations, it will be a strong argument.
Finally, combining the telescope with the Gigapyx sensor’s performances in terms of size and dynamic acquisition and high-efficiency image compression and detection capability, the instrument will be the most advanced in its generation.
An end-to-end ground demonstration with a downscaled demonstrator instrument will be performed at the end of the project inThales Alenia Space's facilities to demonstrate the capacity of a European supply chain to Produce, Assemble, and Test a state-of-the-art VIDEO instrument.
Partners involved in the project are all from the European space industry value chain: the consortium includes six entities from three different European countries, combining the skills of academics and SMEs, and three large industrial companies. The project coordinator, Thales Alenia Space, is a Large system integrator for spacecraft, renowned for its specialty in optical instruments.
In the last year and a half, quite a lot of ground has already been covered, both from the instrument’s point of view and the involved technologies, in order to reach the objectives set out at the beginning of the project.
The targeted instrument has been defined in terms of flight performance in order to have a reference from which to specify the performances of both the technologies and the demonstrator. On this basis, the demonstrator design has been prepared and the technology developments scheduled and coordinated.
Then the technology developments have been triggered, and each has well progressed already:
- Poly-Shape’s process of additive manufacturing of the AlSi-based material is now ready, and the first prototypes have been produced. The mirrors for the demonstrator have been designed by Thales Alenia Space and are ready for manufacturing.
- AMOS’ polishing process will be tested soon on the first mirrors delivered to them: all preparatory activities are on their way.
- Pyxalis’ Gigapyx first sensor is expected to be out of foundry in July, and it will be assembled into the demonstration kit before the end of the year.
- Finally, the compression and detection algorithms developed by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria already show very good performances and are ready to be implemented on space-like hardware.
The first results of the project are therefore starting to emerge, first with the design of the flight instrument and its associated demonstrator, then for each technology.
The methodology for mirrors design optimization is now well mastered by Thales Alenia Space, and the next steps are for AMOS to demonstrate their ability to polish freeform optical surfaces onto complex, lightweighted substrates made by additive manufacturing. Poly-Shape has now tuned its manufacturing process and will now have to qualify the material for space and produce representative parts. Pyxalis will soon be able to provide demonstration kits for 46 MPixels sensors, and ULPGC has developed compression algorithms for the videos supplied by the sensor. Thales Alenia Space has developed the capability to create synthetic images to simulate the outputs of the instrument for ULPCG to implement their detection algorithms. The algorithms will be now ported on flight-like hardware.
The targeted instrument has been defined in terms of flight performance in order to have a reference from which to specify the performances of both the technologies and the demonstrator. On this basis, the demonstrator design has been prepared and the technology developments scheduled and coordinated.
Then the technology developments have been triggered, and each has well progressed already:
- Poly-Shape’s process of additive manufacturing of the AlSi-based material is now ready, and the first prototypes have been produced. The mirrors for the demonstrator have been designed by Thales Alenia Space and are ready for manufacturing.
- AMOS’ polishing process will be tested soon on the first mirrors delivered to them: all preparatory activities are on their way.
- Pyxalis’ Gigapyx first sensor is expected to be out of foundry in July, and it will be assembled into the demonstration kit before the end of the year.
- Finally, the compression and detection algorithms developed by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria already show very good performances and are ready to be implemented on space-like hardware.
The first results of the project are therefore starting to emerge, first with the design of the flight instrument and its associated demonstrator, then for each technology.
The methodology for mirrors design optimization is now well mastered by Thales Alenia Space, and the next steps are for AMOS to demonstrate their ability to polish freeform optical surfaces onto complex, lightweighted substrates made by additive manufacturing. Poly-Shape has now tuned its manufacturing process and will now have to qualify the material for space and produce representative parts. Pyxalis will soon be able to provide demonstration kits for 46 MPixels sensors, and ULPGC has developed compression algorithms for the videos supplied by the sensor. Thales Alenia Space has developed the capability to create synthetic images to simulate the outputs of the instrument for ULPCG to implement their detection algorithms. The algorithms will be now ported on flight-like hardware.
At the end of the project, the Consortium will have made progress beyond the state of the art for each technology separately and for the application instrument as well:
- Additive manufacturing of a stable, but aluminum-based material will have been qualified for space applications
- Freeform polishing of such material will be demonstrated
- The Gigapyx sensor will be available for commercialization in its 46 MPixel version
- In-flight compression and detection algorithms will be available for flight implementation.
- Additive manufacturing of a stable, but aluminum-based material will have been qualified for space applications
- Freeform polishing of such material will be demonstrated
- The Gigapyx sensor will be available for commercialization in its 46 MPixel version
- In-flight compression and detection algorithms will be available for flight implementation.