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Goddard Space Flight Center
1997 Phase II

Radiation-Hard CMOS APS Circuits for Star Trackers

Photobit Corporation

Pasadena, CA

Optimized Active Pixel Sensor (APS) technology and implemented radiation hardening techniques for use in a Star Tracker.

• Radiation-hardened version developed as a follow-on to 1995 Phase II SBIR contract that delivered 512 x 512 pixel APS array for use as the focal plane element of a CMOS APS Star Tracker
• Can tolerate more than 1 Megarad radiation for space use. This innovation enhances the survivability of micro-trackers over a much wider range of radiation hazards and space missions than currently possible.
• Provides reduced weight, size, and power than commonly used CCD sensor architecture.
• Reduces system costs since APSs can be manufactured in standard CMOS foundries and specialty electronics will be eliminated

• The APS circuits proposed in this effort are applicable to micro-star and feature trackers as well as other science and defense spacecraft instrumentation. Practically all terrestrial high radiation environments needing video monitoring will benefit from a radiation-hard APS array. These include a wide range of medical imaging and diagnostic systems, cameras for nuclear power plants, and radiation waste management operations.

• GSFC is developing a Star Tracker that integrates Photobit’s APS array in the imaging portion of the unit. The Star Tracker will be capable of an on-board performance demonstration during a future flight opportunity.

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Curator: SBIR Support