Scope and Topics

ICSO 2008 is the seventh Space Optics conference to be jointly organised by the French Space Agency (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2004. ICSO has been initiated by CNES in 1991 and held on a bi-annual or tri-annual basis.

ICSO is the largest scientific meeting covering all fields of Space Optical Instruments and associated technologies.

The subject of this conference is to show the newest developments and advances on:

  • Optical instruments on board satellites or the International Space Station and formation flying systems: imagers, radiometers, spectrometers, interferometers, lidars, atomic clocks.... recently launched and currently in orbit, under development or in the preliminary development phase.
  • New technologies for space optical instruments.

 

.
The different sessions will cover this list of topics.

Topic 1 - Optical instruments for Earth / Planets surface and atmosphere study
Topic 2 - Optical instruments for Science and Astronomy in Space
Topic 3 - Optical instruments for microgravity experiments, ISS demonstrations and Human Space Flight
Topic 4 - Other instruments
Topic 5 - Generic Technologies and Simulations for Space optical instruments

 

Topic 1 - Optical instruments for Earth / Planets surface and atmosphere study

 

This topic addresses optical instruments for:
- Earth surface observation (both scientific and application),
- Meteorology and earth environment study and monitoring,
- Planet observation.

Presentations will cover the following areas:

  • Imagers for land and sea observation featuring
    • High spatial resolution,
    • High spectral resolution (including spectrometers),
    • Stereoscopy,
    • Very large field of view,
    • High radiometric resolution (particularly in the infrared).
  • Multidirectional observation;
  • Radiometers
  • Passive sounders for atmosphere monitoring,
  • Lidars for wind measurements, species detection, climate monitoring (cloud characterization), altimetry;
  • Hyperspectral instruments;
  • Etc.

 

Up

Topic 2 - Optical instruments for Science and Astronomy in Space

 

This topic addresses optical instruments for Space Science and astronomy, including sun observation e.g. imaging, spectroscopy, photometry and astrometry.

Presentations will cover the following areas:

  • Observation in the following ranges :
    • Gamma-rays and X-rays,
    • Far and near ultra-violet,
    • Visible and infrared,
    • Far infrared and submillimeter.
  • Large space-based or moon-based observatories
    • Multiple aperture optical systems,
    • Active large aperture telescopes.
  • Instruments for Fundamental Physics verification  (LISA: Gravitational Waves detection, equivalence principle and Lens-Thiring effect, etc…)
  • Formation flying payloads (Symbol X, Darwin, etc).

 

Up

Topic 3 - Optical instruments for microgravity experiments, ISS demonstrations and Human Space Flight

 

This topic covers optical instruments for use in all types of microgravity experiments (short space missions and ISS), other demonstrations onboard the ISS as well as applications in human space flight

Presentations will cover the following areas:

  • Optical instruments on board the International Space Station (ISS), space shuttle, space rocket; we can suggest:
    • Atomic clock and associated laser,
    • Time transfer by optical link,
    • Velocimetry and tracer techniques,
    • Microscopy (e.g. DECLIC).
  • Etc.


Up

Topic 4 - Other instruments

 

This topic covers all kind of optical instruments used for spacecraft implementation: attitude control as well as the special case of applications in Space transportation.

 

Presentations will cover the following areas:

  • Attitude control sensors
    • Star trackers,
    • Earth and sun sensors,
    • Laser gyrometers,
    • Attitude measurement transfer systems,
    • In-flight alignment and calibration,
    • Optical metrology, laser ranging,
    • Sensors for rendez-vous and docking applications,
    • Fibre optic sensors.
  • Inter satellite optical communication
  • Optical instruments on mini and microsatellites for space debris monitoring
  • Etc.

 

Up

Topic 5 - Generic Technologies and Simulations for Space optical instruments

 

This topic covers technologies for use in all types of optical instruments on board satellites for scientific and application missions as well as those used on platform: satellite stabilisation, Optics for on-board data communication and navigation systems.

Presentations will cover the following areas:

  • Optical technologies for large and light weight mirrors
    • New materials and associated technologies
    • Fabrication and testing of large and/or segmented optics (including adaptive optics)
  • Solid state lasers
    • Semiconductor lasers:
      • high brightness (FabryPerot, DFB, MOPA, )
      • narrow linewidth, frequencystabilized and tuned spectral line
    • High power lasers for lidars, telecommunications, ranging,
      • diode pumped solid state lasers
      • fibre lasers
      • other materials and technologies
    • Components for high performance lasers: AOM, SAW, etc
  • Focal plane assembly technologies
    • Assembly technologies
    • Advanced detector concepts
    • Spectral separation and filters
    • Cryogenics

  • Optics for Onboard data communication and signal processing
    • Optical wireless links,
    • Fibre optics for OBDH,
    • Optical beam forming,
    • Optical processing,
  • Straylight
  • Coating, contamination control and cleaning,
  • Micro and nano technologies (filters, lasers, integrated optics; MOEMS…),
  • Diffractive optics,
  • Fibers, Fiber-based optical systems
  • Smart structures, highly stable structure,
  • Interferometry and related technique,
  • Modal filtering
  • Holography
  • Etc

Up