e2v on Gaia Sensor

e2v published a PR on its 106 CCDs imager inside the European Space Agency space observatory Gaia on a five year mission to map the galaxy. e2v has implemented different functionalities in each of these CCDs, like charge injection, antiblooming and TDI gate structures to meet the specific needs of the mission. There are three variants of the CCD91-72, each optimised for different wavelengths in the range 250 to 1,000nm. The CCD package is 3 sided buttable, to minimise the dead space between CCDs when they are tiled together in the mosaic and all CCDs have been through e2v’s back thinning process.

Hans Faulks, General Business Unit Manager for Space and Astronomy commented: "We are immensely proud and excited to finally see our image sensors embark on this mission. All the hard work, dedication and expertise that has been put into our sensors and into the mission will finally come to fruition. Our products will now play their part in history as we help increase our understanding of our universe."