ABB Canada has won a
$1.75 million contract for the
development of a scanning mechanism for the Canadian Space Agency
(CSA) which could potentially contribute to space exploration.
QUEBEC, Oct. 17, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - The ABB cryogenic
scanning mirror mechanism would be part of the Space Infrared
Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) proposed mission.
If selected, the space telescope would launch in 2032 to obtain a
better understanding of the physics of star formation and black
hole growth.
Most of the energy emitted by stars and black holes at the
center of galaxies is absorbed by dust through which only Far-IR
light can pass, meaning that a Far-IR telescope is the best tool to
analyze what is happening behind this dust curtain. The role of the
ABB scanning mechanism would be to enable the mirrors of the
spectrometer to move precisely within the SPICA Far-infrared
instrument (SAFARI) with the help of a laser metrology system.
This movement would reveal more information on the energy
distribution of the light and the underlying physical phenomenon
occurring light years away from the earth. The SAFARI is one of the
proposed SPICA mission's two main science instruments behind the
telescope.
The main challenges faced by ABB in the development of the
mechanism are to ensure it can survive the vacuum of space, the
launch vibrations, the -269 °C operating temperature, the
compensation of micro vibration disturbances, all the while
maintaining positional stability at a hundred thousandth of a
millimeter.
"ABB Measurement & Analytics Business Line enables
scientists around the world to perform through excellence in
infrared spectroscopy. The company is a market leader in Fourier
Transform Infrared technology in terms of innovation, reliability
and performance," said Marc-André Soucy, Director for the Space
industry at ABB. "Building on more than 45 years of experience in
Fourier spectrometers and optical instrumentation, we willingly
take up the challenge and look forward to a successful
collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency."
The SPICA space mission has been proposed to the European Space
Agency (ESA) Cosmic Vision Program, in collaboration with the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
If the SPICA Mission is successful in its bid, it will not be
the first time ABB's instruments have been in space. Among other
projects, ABB developed the main instrument, the ACE-FTS, on-board
the Canadian Science Satellite, SCISAT, helping track long term
composition changes in the earth's atmosphere from Space. NASA also
has ABB interferometers at the heart of a key instrument onboard
their newest generation of polar orbit weather satellites (JPSS)
which saves lives by improving the timeliness and accuracy of
weather forecasts for up to seven days. ABB interferometers are
also flying onboard the Japanese GOSAT 1 and 2 satellite monitoring
at high accuracy the steady rise of greenhouse gases around the
world and the region with the strongest contribution to the
mix.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is
driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of
innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four
customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification,
Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete
Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB's
Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB
operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.
www.abb.com
SOURCE ABB inc.