VERY-LOW-TEMPERATURE CRYOGENICS AND RELATED SPACE APPLICATIONS

Future scientific instruments for space applications will require impr oved performances. This can sometimes be achieved by making such instr uments last longer or physically bigger. The highest gains in performa nce, however, are often achieved when a new detection technique is int roduced. In-house work at ESTEC is concentrating on developing such a new detection technique using superconducting technology, which requir es cooling to temperatures a few-tenths of a degree above absolute zer o.