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Microtechnologies for Space Systems 113

6.2 HIGH TRL SUCCESS STORIES

The following is a description of a few MNT-based devices and instruments that
have successfully transitioned either to space mission development or are currently
at a very high level of technology maturity. This list is by no means comprehensive
but serves to show that the applications for MNT in space are numerous and varied.
In each case, the key factors that were responsible for the successful technology
infusion have also been identified.

6.2.1 ‘‘SPIDER WEB’’ BOLOMETERS FOR HERSCHEL SPACE OBSERVATORY AND
PLANCK SURVEYOR MISSIONS
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are jointly developing the PLANCK
Surveyor Mission and the Herschel Space Observatory, both scheduled for launch
in 2007. The PLANCK Surveyor will carry on board a high-frequency instrument
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(HFI), which will map the entire sky in six frequency bands ranging from 100 to
857 GHz. HFI will be used to probe the cosmic microwave background (CMB)
anisotropy and polarization. The spectral and photometric imaging receiver
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(SPIRE) will be an imaging photometer and spectrometer for ESA’s Herschel
Space Observatory. SPIRE will be used to conduct deep extragalactic and galactic
imaging surveys as well as spectroscopy of star-forming regions. It contains a three-
band imaging photometer with bands in the range of 570–1200 GHz, and an
imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) covering the 450–1500 GHz range.
Both HFI and SPIRE depend on ‘‘spider web’’ bolometer detectors operating at
temperatures between 0.1 and 0.3 K.
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The spider web bolometer detector was developed at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory as shown in Figure 6.1, and rapidly made the transition from a low

FIGURE 6.1 (a) An array of microfabricated ‘‘Spider Web’’ bolometers. (b) Magnified view
of a single detector showing the spider web suspension for the rectangular thermistor chip
mounted in the center of the device. (Source: NASA/JPL.)

© 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC