A two-year contract awarded to ABB from NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory will see key ABB/Nüvü Camēras technology fly onboard the
space telescope in 2025, on course to capture the first spaceborne
images of planets outside our solar system.
ZURICH, Nov. 25, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Nancy Grace
Roman Space Telescope, NASA's future space observatory, is due to
launch in 2025 in search of other earth-like worlds. It carries two
instruments: one to study the mystery of dark energy distribution
in the cosmos; and the first dedicated exoplanet imaging camera in
space, the CGI (CoronaGraph Imager). Within the CGI will be two
high sensitivity cameras with electronic cores developed by ABB
together with Nüvü.
Extra-solar planetary systems are extremely difficult to observe
from large distances as planets are tremendously dimmer than their
neighboring star and barely separated from one another. NASA's CGI
complex arrangement of optical components manage to block out the
star light and send the residual light of the nearby planet to a
highly sensitive camera. This is where the unique ABB/Nüvü imaging
solution comes at play in revealing the unusual dot that was
previously invisible.
"The Roman mission is a $3.2
billion project which should be 100 to 1000 times more
powerful for imaging exo-planets than what is achieved on the
ground today. We are very proud to be supplying such a critical
component in this groundbreaking mission. It is an exciting project
which will require our most advanced technological expertise to
succeed," stated Marc Corriveau, General Manager ABB
Measurement & Analytics Canada.
"We are thankful to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Space
Technology Development Program which enabled this revolutionary
camera technology to be brought to a maturity level sufficient for
its consideration by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory" said
Olivier Daigle, Chief Technology
Officer at Nüvü Camēras.
The ABB contract win follows a recent contract award from
GHGSAT, a private satellite constellation operator, to supply
additional optical sensors capable of imaging methane leaks on the
ground in high definition. ABB optical equipment already in space
cumulates more than 90 years of reliable operation. The SCISAT
sensor tracks long-term composition changes in the earth's
atmosphere of more than 60 molecules and pollutants down to parts
per trillion since 2003. Weather agencies around the world base
their predictions on ABB technology at the heart of the latest
generation of polar satellites of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which saves lives by improving
the timeliness and accuracy of weather forecasts for up to seven
days. ABB sensors are also flying onboard the Japanese GOSAT 1 and
2 satellites monitoring at high accuracy the steady rise of
greenhouse gases around the world since 2009.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology
company that energizes the transformation of society and industry
to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting
software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion
portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive
performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching
back more than 130 years, ABB's success is driven by about 110,000
talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
Nüvü Camēras is a world leader in ultra-sensitive
imaging solutions since 2010. The Canadian based company designs
and manufactures cameras and controllers for markets such as space
exploration and surveillance, industrial quality control, physics
and life science diagnostics. www.nuvucameras.com
SOURCE ABB inc.