Gooch & Housego fiber-optic modules qualified for ESA space mission
August 21, 2008--Gooch & Housego announced a supply deal with Swiss space equipment supplier, Oerlikon Space, for its Modular Fibre Optic Assembly (MFOA). Oerlikon Space will use the MFOA as part of its work with the European Space Agency (ESA) on its Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission.
The MFOA will specifically be used in the first-ever polar-orbiting, space-borne 2-D interferometric radiometer. The MFOA, ideal for this application due to the carefully controlled optical path lengths of fiber, has undergone vigorous testing to qualify for use in this space application.
"We have been working closely with Oerlikon (formerly Contraves Space) on the MFOA for over five years, so this deployment is a significant achievement," said Gooch & Housego CEO, Gareth Jones. "We are seeing increasing demand for our products in critical applications that require components and assemblies of the highest reliability, particularly in the Aerospace and Defense sector. The recent acquisition of super-polished optics leader, General Optics (see www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/333605), has further strengthened our position in this hugely important market."
In January 2008, Gooch & Housego integrated five of its component manufacturing companies: Gooch & Housego UK, SIFAM, Cleveland Crystals, NEOS Technologies, and Landwehr Electronic (see www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/317245).
Scheduled for launch in 2009, SMOS is the second Earth Explorer Opportunity mission to be developed as part of ESA's Living Planet Programme. As well as demonstrating the use of the new radiometer, the data acquired from this mission will contribute to furthering knowledge of the Earth's water cycle. The data acquired from the SMOS mission will lead to better weather and extreme-event forecasting, and contribute to seasonal-climate forecasting. As a secondary objective, SMOS will also provide observations over regions of snow and ice, contributing to studies of the cryosphere.
For more information, visit www.goochandhousego.com.