THE HIGH RESOLUTION OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR THE PLEIADES HR EARTH

OBSERVATION SATELLITES
Catherine GAUDIN-DELRIEU(1), Jean-Luc LAMARD(1), Philippe CHEROUTRE(1), Bruno BAILLY(1), Pierre
DHUICQ(1), Olivier PUIG(2)
(1)
Thales Alenia Space, 100 Bd. Du Midi, 06156 Cannes la Bocca – France, E-mail: , catherine.gaudin-
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected]
(2)
CNES, Centre de Toulouse, 18 Avenue E. Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 4 – France, E-mail: : [email protected]

1 ABSTRACT 2 INTRODUCTION

Coming after the SPOT satellites series, PLEIADES- Following the SPOT satellites family, within the future
HR is a CNES optical high resolution satellite Franco Italian ORFEO system dedicated to optical and
dedicated to Earth observation, part of a larger optical radar Earth observation, CNES, who is in charge of the
and radar multi-sensors system, ORFEO, which is optical component, imagined a system whose
developed in cooperation between France and Italy for performances are significantly enhanced compared to
dual Civilian and Defense use. The development of the the SPOT series and achieve a range of operational
two PLEIADES-HR cameras was entrusted by CNES missions widened to defense and civil safety domains.
to Thales Alenia Space. This new generation of It is composed of two satellites equipped with optical
instrument represents a breakthrough in comparison high resolution cameras. The agility of the satellites
with the previous SPOT instruments owing to a allows a great capacity of daily image acquisitions. The
significant step in on-ground resolution, which so called PLEIADES-HR satellites, will deliver
approaches the capabilities of aerial photography. panchromatic images with broad field and 70cm
The PLEIADES-HR instrument program benefits from ground sample distance at nadir. The panchromatic
Thales Alenia Space long and successful heritage in acquisition (Pan) is supplemented by four multispectral
Earth observation from space. The proposed solution channels (MS) with narrow spectral bands and 2.8m
benefits from an extensive use of existing products, ground sample distance at nadir.
Cannes Space Optics Centre facilities, unique in Thales Alenia Space, in charge of designing, building
Europe, dedicated to High Resolution instruments. and testing the optical instrument, has recently
The optical camera provides wide field panchromatic successfully completed the development of the Proto-
images supplemented by 4 multispectral channels with Flight Model with outstanding image quality
narrow spectral bands. The optical concept is based on performances.
a four mirrors Korsch telescope.
Crucial improvements in detector technology, optical 3 REQUIREMENTS
fabrication and electronics make it possible for the
PLEIADES-HR instrument to achieve the image The PLEIADES-HR camera achieves all the image
quality requirements while respecting the drastic quality requirements (field of view, ground sample
limitations of mass and volume imposed by the satellite distance (GSD), modulation transfer function (MTF),
agility needs and small launchers compatibility. signal to noise ratio (SNR)) while respecting the drastic
The two flight telescopes were integrated, aligned and restrictions of mass and volume imposed by satellite
tested. After the integration phase, the alignment, accommodation and performance. The main
mainly based on interferometric measurements in requirements that have led to the camera design choices
vacuum chamber, was successfully achieved within are summarized hereafter:
high accuracy requirements. The wave front
measurements show outstanding performances, Mass <215kg
confirmed, after the integration of the PFM Detection volume L<1900mm
Unit, by MTF measurements on the Proto-Flight Model Diameter<1200mm
Instrument.
Delivery of the proto flight model occurred mi-2008. PAN MS-B0 MS-B1 MS-B2 MS-B3
The FM2 Instrument delivery is planned Q2-2009. Spectral 480nm 450nm 510nm 620nm 775nm
The first optical satellite launch of the PLEIADES-HR band 820nm 530nm 590nm 700nm 915nm
constellation is foreseen beginning-2010, the second Field of
20km
will follow beginning-2011. view
GSD at nadir 0.7m 2.8m
 PAN MS-B0 MS-B1 MS-B2 MS-B3 The beams are folded up along the field of view so as
> 0.073(*) to locate the focal plane on a cold side of the satellite,
MTF at 0.2 at 1/2*2.8m-1 due to thermal control constraint.
1/2*0.7m-1 As for the beams coming from M3 towards the focal
SNR @L2 plane not being blocked by MR, the field of view is
> 90 > 90
radiance
slightly shifted perpendicular to the image line. Thus,
L2
97 130 115 100 100 MR is shifted from the M1-M2 optical axis and M3 is
W/m²/sr/µm
MTF*SNR >7,3 off-axis as shown on Fig.1.
distortion <2% The real exit pupil of the telescope is located between
(*) : The MTF performance on final images is 0.2 after M3 and the focal plane in the same plane than MR.
image restoration.
Both M1 and M2 are centered and circular mirrors. On
4 TELESCOPE OPTICAL DESIGN the contrary, MR and M3 are very long “field” mirrors.
M3 is off-axis with a low aperture number. Its use by
The optical architecture of the telescope results from sub-pupils along the field, makes it more difficult to
the optimization of radiometric performances manufacture as the wave front flatness must be
compatible with volume restrictions, respect to the guaranteed on every elementary zone while strictly
broad field of view and spectral range required. The restricting tilt and focus variations between them so as
four mirrors Korsch telescope, including a folding to control distortion effects at the focal plane.
mirror, appears to be the best choice. The following Therefore, this mirror is the main polishing difficulty,
figures recall the optical principle of the telescope achieving the accuracy of traditional polishing
(Fig.1 and Fig.2): technique. MR is subject to the same type of
constraints, but as it is plane, its realization is less
critical.

The telescope field of view allows the simultaneous

imaging of a panchromatic line and four multispectral
lines with a slight field separation compliant to mission
requirements.

The main optical characteristics and sensitivities are

given below:
Fig.1 : CodeV 3D view of PLEIADES-HR telescope 650mm
Entrance pupil diameter
M3
Focal length 12905mm
M1 Numerical aperture f/20
547,24mm Field of view 1.6°
M2 PAN-MS 1.6mrd
Maximum registration
MR MS-MS 0.5mrd
M1M2 distance 1300mm
M2 magnification 67
M3 magnification 3.4
640mm
PAN 1.82 %
Maximum optical distortion
MS 1.97 %
1300mm 436mm
Because of the high axial magnification of M2, the
Fig.2 : CodeV 2D view of PLEIADES-HR front cavity needs a very accurate control of the M1-
M2 distance within a few microns obtained thanks to a
The front cavity is a light collector constituted by two carbon-carbon composite cylinder. A thermal
centered mirrors. The primary mirror (M1) is a conic refocusing device, linked to M2, is also implemented in
surface not far from a parabola. The secondary mirror order to compensate offsets and long term drifts.
(M2) is aspherical. The entrance pupil is located on the The back cavity is not particularly sensitive to
primary mirror. In the back cavity, behind M1, is misalignments. Its design results from a compromise
located an intermediate image plane where the beams between compactness and distortion that is all the more
converge then diverge and are folded up by a long high as M3 gets closer to the image plane.
rectangular folding plane mirror (MR) towards the
tertiary aspherical mirror (M3) which gives a corrected The mechanical architecture is shown on the following
image at the focal plane (PF). CAD-slice view.
 Secondary mirror M2 achieved on the two telescope models.
(with thermal refocusing device)

Reinforcement
Spider Blades Ring

Carbon-Carbon
cylinder

Primary mirror Highly Integrated Fig.4: M1 on its transport interface with transfer
M1 (Zerodur) Detection Unit tool
with its radiators
Shutter
Folding mirror
MR

Optical bench

Tertiary mirror
M3 Bus interface (with Fig.5: M1 with its protection cover being integrated on
launcher interface cone) the base-plate structure
Fig.3 : CAD view of the mechanical architecture of
PLEIADES-HR camera 5.2 Secondary mirror assembly

5 TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY The assembly of the M2 sub-system includes the

mirror itself equipped with its mechanical fixation
The most critical integration phase consists in a careful device, its baffle to prevent straylight, the thermal
pre-assembly of the mirrors in the mechanical refocusing device with its radiator and the spider
structure. All the mirrors, equipped with their blades as shown on the following pictures.
mechanical fixation devices (MFD), were designed,
manufactured and coated by the SESO Company in
Aix-en-Provence. The mirror fixation devices (MFD)
are designed to minimize the deformation of the
mirrors by filtering small displacements and local
flatness irregularity at interface.

As to respect the drastic cleanliness constraints

required, all the integration and test phases are carried Fig.6: integration of the M2 sub-system:
on in the class100 clean room. mirror, baffle, refocusing device, radiator and spider

5.1 Primary mirror assembly The M2 sub-system is accurately pre-aligned in front

of the primary mirror using laser tracker and three
The primary mirror is maintained on the mechanical dimensional measurements.
structure of the camera in three points, 120° spaced,
using filtering MFD. Whatever, relative displacements 5.3 Tertiary and folding mirror assembly
of the fixation points have a major impact on wave-
front deformation. Accordingly, particular caution has The tertiary mirror and the plane folding mirror are
been taken when integrating the mirror in the flight transferred from their transport interface to the back
structure, using an original dedicated tool. This tool is cavity.
an invar ring divided in three sectors aimed to prevent
the three fixation points from relative displacements
during the transfer of the mirror from its handling
interface to the flight structure. This original tool made
it possible to perform a non deforming integration of
the mirror with no need of optical control. The
efficiency of the operation has been proved through the
final optical measurements which showed that wave- Fig.7: (left) M3 on its panel, (right) MR on its transport
front deformation is lower than the budgeted interface and cover
allocation. This performance has been successfully
 degrees of freedom tool whose resolution is 1µm for
decentering and 1 arcs for tilt.

Fig.8: back cavity mechanical structure ready for

mirrors integration

5.4 Telescope alignment Fig.10: M2 maintained on the alignment tool

prealigned in front of the telescope
As Thales Alenia Space owns a space optics centre
unique in Europe, the PLEIADES-HR camera benefits Given the astigmatism and coma values measured for 3
from vast clean rooms, vacuum chambers equipped to 5 field points and the optical model, the ALI option
with optical benches, one of them being the largest in of the CodeV© software, returns the set of
Europe, fast interferometers, collimators and large flat displacements of the mirror to be done to optimize the
mirrors for optical alignment. WFE over the entire field. The mirror is moved
according to the calculation and another series of
The first optical alignment phase consists in orienting measurements is done. After pre-alignment loops under
the tertiary mirror, in order to centre the beams on the atmospheric pressure, in order to reach the best
diaphragm located at the exit pupil. In that purpose, the accuracy, the camera is put in a vacuum chamber with
camera is lighted over its entrance pupil with a an accurate thermal control. The convergence of the
collimated beam using the collimator. alignment process was then reached in one iteration
under vacuum. The perfect convergence between
measurements and predictions, validates the quality of
the interferometric measurements and the compliance
of the specimen to the optical model. The sensitivity of
wave front errors to M2 displacements is perfectly
compliant to the theorical model.

Fig.9: (left) MR in the back cavity and exit pupil

reticule (right) trace of the beam on the reticule

Although the secondary mirror is not aligned yet,

thanks to the high accuracy of the mechanical assembly Fig.11: interferometric configuration for M2 alignment
of the telescope, the beam is focused on the image – vacuum chamber opened
plane through the optical path. Its decentering is
observed on a reticule at the exit pupil location. Tilting
the tertiary mirror causes the beam to be recentered if
necessary. On both telescope models, the beam
centering target (±1mm) has been easily reached.

The second alignment phase consists in tilting and

decentering the secondary mirror in order to optimize
the wave front error performance over the total field of Fig.12: interferometric configuration for M2 alignment
view of the camera. This is done thanks to computer - vacuum chamber closed
aid, based on interferometric measurements and using
CodeV© alignment skill. Low frequency aberrations 5.5 Telescope optical performances
such as astigmatism, coma and focus can be reduced to
an optimum by moving the M2 mirror using a 5 So as to accurately characterize the final optical
performance of the aligned telescope, wave front errors 1,500 photo-elements on a 52 µm pitch and the size of
and focus measurements are achieved in many field each photo-element is 52x52 µm².
points, under vacuum and accurate thermal control, as The spectral selection is made by optical filters placed
close as possible to flight conditions. very close in front of the detectors. Pan filters and MS
The average WFE performance of both telescopes is in stripe-line filters are space qualified multi-layer
line with the aimed objective. The telescope associated coatings deposited on glass substrates. An absorbing
with the PFM instrument shows outstanding material deposited between the MS filters isolates each
performance, average WFE performance in the whole band from the others to avoid inter-band straylight.
field of view being 32nm rms, ie λ/20 at 633nm. A SiC main structure ensures accurate positioning and
thermal dissipation of the equipped detectors.
Focus measurements along the field show a field
curvature very close to theory. For an easy high level image products ground
processing, optical butting with splitting zerodur©
mirrors provides the continuity of the detection lines
(Pan/Pan and MS/MS in the field registration) and
folding with long roof SiC mirror separates Pan and
MS image.
The link between the Focal Plane and the Video
Electronics is made with flexible circuits optimized to
operate at frequency close to 7 MHz.
Radiometric performances are optimized thanks to
video processing entirely integrated on the focal plane.
Video
Focal Plane
Electronics

Fig.13: aligned telescope ready for detection unit

integration

6 DETECTION UNIT

The focal plane (Fig.14) is the heart of the highly

integrated detection subassembly (Fig.15). The size of
Fig.15: Detection Unit
the observed image is close to 400mm and is analyzed
in 30,000 samples in Pan and 7,500 samples in MS.
7 CAMERA INTEGRATION AND TESTS

After electrical integration and radiometric

CCD performance verification, the PFM Detection Unit is
MS PAN
mounted on the telescope for final qualification test
campaign.

Folding The first step consists in MTF measurements along the

mirror Pan line. This is done via a contrast evaluation method,
Splitting using a collimator that lights the camera over the full
mirrors entrance pupil.

Fig.14: Focal plane concept

The Pan band is constituted of 5 back-thinned TDI

mode CCD arrays, whose pixels are PhotoMOS type
with lateral anti-blooming structure. The image section
has 6000 columns of active square pixels, each
13x13µm².
The colored bands (MS) are constituted of 5 CCD four
linear arrays. The spacing between the centres of two
consecutive line is 936 µm. Each line of pixels has Fig.16: PFM undergoing optical measurement (MTF)
The MTF performance is deduced from the acquisition 8.1 Panchromatic band
of images of a square wave pattern whose spatial
frequency is close to the Nyquist frequency of the Pan The images acquired in Pan mode correspond to those
pixel, located at the image plane of the collimator. for which resolution performances must be maximum.
The following performance applies to the angular
The MTF performance measured at that step confirmed frequencies corresponding to the spatial frequencies, on
the high level image quality expected at telescope step ground, for nadir viewing, at the nominal altitude and
and authorized the instrument to go through the with the theoretical focal length, less than the spatial
qualification mechanical tests. frequency of interest on ground fo=1/(2.GSDpan),
Due to the mechanical configuration of the instrument irrespective of the image viewing direction. Raw MTF
inside the platform, the quasi-static and sine levels tests complies with the following conditions at instrument
cover the loads induced by acoustic, shock and thermal level with the hypothesis of 13 active TDI lines :
environments.
For any frequency f less than or equal to fo we have:
- SNR.MTF(f) > 20 [requirement > 7.3] at L2
radiance;
- MTF(f) > 0.13 [requirement > 0.073] at worst case
radiance (L1);
- SNR > 147 [requirement > 90] (where SNR
designates column noise at L2 radiance).
Pan MT F measured on ground at Nyquist
frequencie and L2 radiance

0,200

0,180
MTF

0,160

0,140

Fig.17: PFM camera ready for mechanical tests 0,120

-200 -100 0 100 200
Fie ld in t he focal plane (m m)
All simulation levels have been passed in record time
with no performance degradation. X Y

The comparison between measurements (MTF and Fig.19: Pan MTF measurements based on contrast
geometrical tests) before and after mechanical tests evaluation method
prove the perfect stability of the instrument.
End of life Pan MTF at Nyquist frequencie
and L2 radiance
8 FINAL PERFORMANCE TEST RESULTS 0,200

0,180
The main image quality parameter is the SNR.MTF
MTF

product which determines the useful support of the 0,160

MTF and hence image resolution. The performances 0,140

apply for each spectral band, throughout the life of the 0,120
satellite, excluding the compression effect and outside -200 -100 0 100 200
inter-array zones. Fiel d in the focal plane (mm)
The PFM optical instrument shows outstanding image X Y 45° -45°

quality performance compared to the required level. Fig.20: Predicted Pan EOL MTF based on ground
measurements
Pan SNR me asure d on ground

3 00

2 50

2 00
SNR

1 50

1 00

50

0
0 5000 10000 15000 2 0000 250 00 30000

Pixels n umb er
L1 L2 L3

Fig.18: PFM undergoing radiometric measurement Fig.21: Pan SNR measured with 13 active TDI lines
8.2 Multi-Spectral bands efficient thermal and mechanical architecture that
ensures very high in-flight stability of the camera.
Performances apply to the angular frequencies, on Through the development of the PLEIADES-HR
ground and for nadir viewing, corresponding to the camera, Thales Alenia Space has confirmed its
spatial frequencies specified below, irrespective of the successful experience in designing, building and testing
image viewing direction. high resolution optical instruments, with a special
For all module spatial frequencies less than or equal to notice to the high performance optical facilities and
spatial frequency of interest on ground skills available in Cannes for optical measurements and
fo=1/(2.GSDms), we have the following for each MS alignment.
band :
- MTF > 0.25 [ requirement > 0.2 ] along X and Y PFM development has been successfully achieved.
axes, at worst case radiance (L1); Outstanding MTF and SNR performances have been
- SNR > 130 [ requirement > 90 ] (where SNR reached. The FM2 camera integration is in progress
designates column noise at radiance L2). towards a delivery planned Q2-2009.

End of life MS-B3 MTF at Nyquist frequencie

10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

0,450 This work was performed at Thales Alenia Space,

0,400 under a contract from the Pleiades HR satellite prime
0,350 EADS-Astrium (France), on behalf of CNES. Many
MTF

0,300 thanks go to the many engineers at E2V Technologies,

0,250
SAGEM, EADS-SODERN, SESO and SENER who
0,200
-200,0 -100,0 0,0 100,0 200,0 participated in the development of the Pleiades-HR
Field in the Focal Plane (mm) optical instruments. We also acknowledge the strong
X Y
support given by the CNES teams.
Fig.22: Predicted MS EOL MTF based on ground 11 REFERENCES
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