Gaia features largest CCD array
The European Space Agency's Gaia mission has been successfully launched, with the goal of making the largest, most precise three dimensional map of the Milky Way.
During the mapping process, Gaia will detect and measure accurately the motion of each star in its orbit around the centre of the Galaxy.
Imaging will be performed by 106 sensors developed by e2v, which form the largest focal plane array to be flown in space.
Three variants of the CCD91-72 imager are featured, each optimised for different wavelengths in the range from 250 to 1000nm.
Gaia will collect more than 30 times the light than a similar mission in the past while measuring a star's position and motion 200 times more accurately.
* For more on space electronics, see the 14 January cover story here.
