Polska wersja
Development of the remote sensing facilities covered the infrastructure’s upgrade and the purchase of specialized software used in the work related to the remote sensing activity - acquisition and satellite data analysis for Earth observation. This was done thanks to the co-financing from the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Regional Operational Programme for Mazovian Voivodship 2007 – 2013, Priority I – „Creating conditions for development of innovation potential and entrepreneurship in Mazovia”, Action 1.1 Consolidation of the research & development (R&D) sector.
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In 2012 the new Laboratory of Final Functional Tests of Space Instruments was organized and equipped. In the new laboratory both individual and comprehensive tests of individual subsystems (instruments), as well as small satellite test can be performed. The laboratory is fully equipped to make possible of designing, building, commissioning and testing of advanced digital electronic systems based on FPGA technology, namely: on-board computers and controllers, control systems for CCD and CMOS arrays, image processing, DSP systems allowing for signal processing of frequencies above 1 GHz and complex satellite power systems based on FPGAs technology. It offers 20 professional working places for engineers and technicians.
The whole area is the base for fully equipped electronic laboratory working under the requirements of the European Space Agency, including the requirements of the EPA (ESD Protected Area). ESD problem is one of the most important ones at the modern electronic laboratory. Once the single component costs more than 5-10kEUR, the problem of damaged circuit due to electrostatic discharge starts to be not only the engineering but also the logistic/financial issue. In some cases the ESD effect can be even much more complicated for satellite instrument, where only limited recovery actions can be done in case of failure. Some of ESD effects can be visible after a few years of work only, when the instrument is exploited on the orbit. Then the component failure means not the cost of the component and repair activities – sometimes in such situation this can be the general, not recoverable failure of the whole instrument or mission. This is why ESA takes maximum care of the infrastructure used for assembling of space electronic. This is also why the cost of professional equipment and furniture used in such laboratory can be extremely high.
Many projects developed in CBK PAN were designed and tested in this laboratory: BRITE-PL, ASIM, SPEKTROP, STIX, TARANIS, FPGA DCDC, RECON and RELEC. These are typical scientific ESA (or CNES) projects where FPGA technology was (or is) used for the proper instrument design. SPEKTROP, FPGA DCDC, RecAv, Multipurpose re-programmable platform and RADHIFFS are the technological projects (not concentrated on the particular space science) where the new technological ideas are developed and tested.
BRITE-PL is a unique project – it is the development of the First Polish Scientific Satellite. It is the real scientific program, and also the big test area where our staff can train ourself (and show the power we have as consolidated and well educated group). The subsystems of the two BRITE-PL satellites: Lem and Heweliusz were tested, also the students of Warsaw University of Technology integrated there and performed the tests of their student's satellite PW-SAT.
