A low-cost miniaturized scientific imager design with chip-on-board technology for space applications

The Miniaturized Scientific Imager uses a reflective telescope, a single fi lter, and a charge-coupled device detector. This visible imager has a 1.5 X 2 degrees field of view, a focal length of 720 mm, and a spatial resolutio n of approximate to 4 m at a range of 500 km. Heaters and radiators control the detector temperature. In this design, the user can control exposure mo de, duration, and frame buffer selections. Thirty-two internal frame buffer s will store the images captured by the imager. Our goal is to demonstrate and qualify a miniaturized, modularized, smart imager for future space miss ions. In this article, we present the detailed design of the imager, with e mphasis on APL's chip-on-board technology and its significant impact on sys tem weight and volume reduction. The development resulted in an imager desi gn that weighs only 0.5 kg with a low power consumption of 1 W. A similar i mager in the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous spacecraft weighs 7.7 kg and co nsumes 6.9 W.