Euclid-VIS is the large format visible imager for the ESA Euclid space mission in their Cosmic Vision program, scheduled for launch in 2021. Together with the near infrared imaging within the NISP instrument, it forms the basis of the weak lensing measurements of Euclid. VIS will image in a single r+i+z band from 550-900 nm over a field of view of ~0.5 deg2 . By combining 4 exposures with a total of 2260 sec, VIS will reach to deeper than mAB=24.5 (10s) for sources with extent ~0.3 arcsec. The image sampling is 0.1 arcsec. VIS will provide deep imaging with a tightly controlled and stable point spread function (PSF) over a wide survey area of 15000 deg2 to measure the cosmic shear from nearly 1.5 billion galaxies to high levels of accuracy, from which the cosmological parameters will be measured. In addition, VIS will also provide a legacy dataset with an unprecedented combination of spatial resolution, depth and area covering most of the extra-Galactic sky. Here we will present the results of the study carried out by the Euclid Consortium during the period up to the beginning of the Flight Model programme
In the frame work of the ESA Euclid mission to be launched in 2020, the Euclid Consortium is developing an extremely large and stable focal plane for the VIS instrument. After an extensive phase of definition and study over 4 years made at CEA on the thermo-mechanical architecture of that Focal Plane, the first model (Structural and Thermal Model) has been assembled qualified and delivered to MSSL in June 2017.
The VIS Focal Plane Assembly integrates 36 CCDs (operated at 150K) connected to their front end electronics (operated at 280K). This Focal Plane will be the largest focal plane (~0.6 billion pixels) ever built for space application after the GAIA one. The CCDs are CCD273 type specially designed and provided by the Teledyne e2v company under ESA contract, front end electronics is studied and provided by MSSL.
The Structural and Thermal Model is fully representative of the Flight Model regarding the thermo-mechanical architecture. As the instrument development philosophy follows a Proto Flight approach this choice has been made very early in the development program in order to reduce the risk on the PFM program. So the AIT/AIV plan has been built in order to fully validate since the STM program the overall integration, verification and qualification sequences, taking into account the very stringent cleanliness requirement. The STM FPA integrates 36 CCDs representative of the flight model except for the detection function. Electrical configuration of the front end electronics provides electrical interface in order to power the CCDs and check integrity of all the electrical links to CCDs.
In this paper we first recall the architecture of the VIS-FPA and especially the solutions proposed to cope with the scientific needs of an extremely stable focal plane, both mechanically and thermally leading to a SiC structure. The modular architecture concept, considered as a key driver for such big and complex focal plane is detailed. Parallel to that, the integration workflow including verification steps is fully depicted including specific aspects linked to the use of SiC. Validation and qualification test program is described. A summary of geometrical measurements, thermal balance tests and vibrations tests including the main Ground Support Equipment description are reported.
Keyword list: Euclid, CCD, SiC, focal plane, architecture, integration
KEYWORDS: Electronics, Point spread functions, Charge-coupled devices, Power supplies, Calibration, Fermium, Frequency modulation, Sensors, Field programmable gate arrays, Clocks
Euclid is a medium class European Space Agency mission scheduled for launch in 2020. The goal of the survey is to examine the nature of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe. One of the cosmological probes used to analyze Euclid’s data, the weak lensing technique, measures the distortions of galaxy shapes and this requires very accurate knowledge of the system point spread function (PSF). Therefore, to ensure that the galaxy shape is not affected, the detector chain of the telescope’s VISible Instrument (VIS) needs to meet specific performance performance requirements. Each of the 12 VIS readout chains consisting of 3 CCDs, readout electronics (ROE) and a power supply unit (RPSU) will undergo a rigorous on-ground testing to ensure that these requirements are met. This paper reports on the current status of the warm and cold testing of the VIS Engineering Model readout chain. Additionally, an early insight to the commissioning of the Flight Model calibration facility and program is provided.
KEYWORDS: Data processing, Galactic astronomy, Space operations, Telescopes, Point spread functions, K band, Sensors, Image quality, Data archive systems, Calibration
Euclid is a space-based optical/near-infrared survey mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) to investigate the
nature of dark energy, dark matter and gravity by observing the geometry of the Universe and on the formation of
structures over cosmological timescales. Euclid will use two probes of the signature of dark matter and energy: Weak
gravitational Lensing, which requires the measurement of the shape and photometric redshifts of distant galaxies, and
Galaxy Clustering, based on the measurement of the 3-dimensional distribution of galaxies through their spectroscopic
redshifts. The mission is scheduled for launch in 2020 and is designed for 6 years of nominal survey operations. The
Euclid Spacecraft is composed of a Service Module and a Payload Module. The Service Module comprises all the
conventional spacecraft subsystems, the instruments warm electronics units, the sun shield and the solar arrays. In
particular the Service Module provides the extremely challenging pointing accuracy required by the scientific objectives.
The Payload Module consists of a 1.2 m three-mirror Korsch type telescope and of two instruments, the visible imager
and the near-infrared spectro-photometer, both covering a large common field-of-view enabling to survey more than
35% of the entire sky. All sensor data are downlinked using K-band transmission and processed by a dedicated ground
segment for science data processing. The Euclid data and catalogues will be made available to the public at the ESA
Science Data Centre.
KEYWORDS: Point spread functions, Space operations, Galactic astronomy, Space telescopes, Charge-coupled devices, Calibration, Staring arrays, Sensors, Camera shutters, Radiation effects
Euclid-VIS is the large format visible imager for the ESA Euclid space mission in their Cosmic Vision program,
scheduled for launch in 2020. Together with the near infrared imaging within the NISP instrument, it forms the basis of
the weak lensing measurements of Euclid. VIS will image in a single r+i+z band from 550-900 nm over a field of view
of ~0.5 deg2. By combining 4 exposures with a total of 2260 sec, VIS will reach to deeper than mAB=24.5 (10σ) for
sources with extent ~0.3 arcsec. The image sampling is 0.1 arcsec. VIS will provide deep imaging with a tightly
controlled and stable point spread function (PSF) over a wide survey area of 15000 deg2 to measure the cosmic shear
from nearly 1.5 billion galaxies to high levels of accuracy, from which the cosmological parameters will be measured. In
addition, VIS will also provide a legacy dataset with an unprecedented combination of spatial resolution, depth and area
covering most of the extra-Galactic sky. Here we will present the results of the study carried out by the Euclid
Consortium during the period up to the Critical Design Review.
One of the main challenges for current and near future space experiments is the increase of focal plane complexity in terms of amount of pixels. In the frame work of the ESA Euclid mission to be launched in 2020, the Euclid Consortium is developing an extremely large and stable focal plane for the VIS instrument. CEA has developed the thermomechanical architecture of that Focal Plane taking into account all the very stringent performance and mission related requirements. The VIS Focal Plane Assembly integrates 36 CCDs (operated at 150K) connected to their front end electronics (operated at 280K) as to obtain one of the largest focal plane (∼0.6 billion pixels) ever built for space application after the GAIA one. The CCDs are CCD273 type specially designed and provided by the e2v company under ESA contract, front end electronics is studied and provided by MSSL. In this paper we first recall the specific requirements that have driven the overall architecture of the VIS-FPA and especially the solutions proposed to cope with the scientific needs of an extremely stable focal plane, both mechanically and thermally. The mechanical structure based on SiC material used for the cold sub assembly supporting the CCDs is detailed. We describe also the modular architecture concept that we have selected taking into account AIT-AIV and programmatic constraints.
In June 2012, Euclid, ESA's Cosmology mission was approved for implementation. Afterwards the industrial contracts were signed for the payload module and the spacecraft prime, and the mission requirements consolidated. We present the status of the mission in the light of the design solutions adopted by the contractors. The performances of the spacecraft in its operation, the telescope assembly, the scientific instruments as well as the data-processing have been carefully budgeted to meet the demanding scientific requirements. We give an overview of the system and where necessary the key items for the interfaces between the subsystems.
Euclid-VIS is the large format visible imager for the ESA Euclid space mission in their Cosmic Vision program,
scheduled for launch in 2020. Together with the near infrared imaging within the NISP instrument, it forms the basis of
the weak lensing measurements of Euclid. VIS will image in a single r+i+z band from 550-900 nm over a field of view
of ~0.5 deg2. By combining 4 exposures with a total of 2260 sec, VIS will reach to V=24.5 (10σ) for sources with extent
~0.3 arcsec. The image sampling is 0.1 arcsec. VIS will provide deep imaging with a tightly controlled and stable point
spread function (PSF) over a wide survey area of 15000 deg2 to measure the cosmic shear from nearly 1.5 billion
galaxies to high levels of accuracy, from which the cosmological parameters will be measured. In addition, VIS will also
provide a legacy dataset with an unprecedented combination of spatial resolution, depth and area covering most of the
extra-Galactic sky. Here we will present the results of the study carried out by the Euclid Consortium during the period
up to the Preliminary Design Review.
The focal plane array of the Euclid VIS instrument comprises 36 large area, back-illuminated, red-enhanced CCD detectors (designated CCD 273). These CCDs were specified by the Euclid VIS instrument team in close collaboration with ESA and e2v technologies. Prototypes were fabricated and tested through an ESA pre-development activity and the contract to qualify and manufacture flight CCDs is now underway. This paper describes the CCD requirements, the design (and design drivers) for the CCD and package, the current status of the CCD production programme and a summary of key performance measurements.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.