Sensor Engineering

Goddard Space Flight Center Detector Characterization Laboratory

The Detector Characterization Laboratory (DCL) conducts complete optical and electrical characterization of Ultraviolet (UV), optical, and infrared detectors.

• Assisted in specifying, designing, and developing the lab
• Developed laboratory procedures and test methodologies
• Characterized a variety of the Charge-Coupled Detector (CCD) sensors and a large number of Infrared (IR) arrays for Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and other instruments
• Currently leading efforts to integrate and characterize the IR focal plane for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) instrument

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Microshutter Array

An array of 62,000 tiny shutters the size of a postage stamp; the instrument will contain four of these waffle-looking grids put together

• Provided key engineering support in concept formulation, sensor interfacing, and control system
• Provided key technical involvement in the design, prototype fabrication, and testing
• Assisting Government in monitoring and testing operational subsystem

See a video about the JWST produced by NASA.

 

Click here to visit NASA's Dectector Characterization Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center.