Welcome to the projects page of the CCD group, part of Detector Physics at MSSL.

MSSL's CCD research group is involved in space missions using CCD detectors in various science fields and wavelength ranges. Scientific applications range from astrophysics (looking for the optical signatures of violent events in distant galaxies) to

solar physics (investigating the complex processes of solar flares and the sun's million degree corona). The range of wavelengths is from the visible spectrum through the ultra violet to x-ray energies.

This table shows a list of the projects that the MSSL CCD group is currently involved in:
Mission Launch date Mission overview MSSL's CCD group role
GAIA December 2011   Investigations into the use of L3CCDs for the GAIA-RVS instrument.
Eddington Cancelled    

Solar-B(EIS)

August 2006  

Procurement, characterisation and selection of the CCDs for the EIS camera.MSSL is the main lead for the EIS instrument and has developed the camera system.

Solar-B EIS/MSSL CCD page: http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/www_detector/ccdgroup/ccd.html

Solar-B

(SOT-FPP)
August 2006  

Procurement (on behalf of Lockheed Martin - LMSAL) and characterisation of the CCDs for the FPP part of the SOT instrument.

Solar-B SOT-FPP/MSSL CCD page: http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/www_detector/ccdgroup/ccd.html

MOSES 20 July 2005 insert image Procurement (on behalf of Montana State University ) and characterisation of the CCD imaging detectors. MSSL has provided the camera system.
GOES-N (SXI)

23 June 2005

Countdown to launch:

 

Procurement (on behalf of Lockheed Martin - LMSAL) and characterisation of the CCDs for the SXI instruments on board the GOES-N satellite.

Link to MSSL page

 
GOES-O (SXI) April 2007   Procurement (on behalf of Lockheed Martin - LMSAL) and characterisation of the CCDs for the SXI instruments on board the GOES-O satellite.
SWIFT (UVOT)

Successfully launched

20 November 2004

Development of the SWIFT UVOT detector system.

The UVOT was designed, built and is currently supported on-orbit by a team at MSSL.
 
PPARC PIPSS CCD project Research concluded and report submitted August 2003 MSSL was awarded a PPARC PIPSS grant with e2v technologies as the industrial partner. The aim of MSSL's research was to investigate various methods of determining the spatial resolution, and use the chosen method to measure the resolution of several CCDs.
 
Mars Express (Beagle 2 Lander)

Mars Express successfully launched 2 June 2003

Beagle 2 Lander failed to reach Mars

MSSL led the Beagle 2 Stereo Camera System (SCS) and was responsible for the manufacture and integration of the filters and associated structure.

MSSL SCS page:

 
INTEGRAL Successfully launched 17 October 2002

Link to MSSL INTEGRAL page

Dave's paper:

 
XMM ( OM ) Successfully launched December 1999

Development of the XMM-OM detector system.

The XMM-OM was designed, built and is currently supported on-orbit by a team at MSSL.
 
XMM (RGS) Successfully launched December 1999 Development of software for XMM-RGS, which involved investigations into the CCD camera system.
 


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This page is maintained by Chris McFee with help from Dominic Walton