OSI Optoelectronics's space activity started in 1989 with an RFQ from Officine Galileo (Florence, Italy) for a fully space qualified quadrant detector to fly on the ISO mission. OSI Optoelectronics won the contract, and this was the first space activity at OSI Optoelectronics since the former space division was separated out as an independent company in 1985 (now Alcatel Space). The successful completion of this contract resulted in a long relationship with Officine Galileo, and opened up for deliveries of space qualified optical detectors to other European customers such as Astrium and Tesat Spacecom. Expanding its territory, OSI Optoelectronics won in 2001 and 2002 contracts in Asia for non disclosed customers.

As a result, OSI Optoelectronics is today a well experienced European source for space qualified silicon based optical detectors. Recently, OSI Optoelectronics extended its technology base towards InGaAs detectors. The first space related contract for this group of detectors was awarded in 2002.

OSI Optoelectronics's space qualified optical detectors may not necessarily be limited to products based on photodiode technology, only. The wide experience in space product program management, packaging technology and environmental screening and testing, enables OSI Optoelectronics to manufacture and qualify products where the optical sensor element is supplied by a subcontractor. This includes sensor chips for other parts of the optical spectrum, and CMOS imaging sensor chips where OSI Optoelectronics has some experience and work with a few suppliers. The newly developed OSI Optoelectronics flip-chip technology also opens for a new family of more integrated detector products.

As reference, an overview of some of OSI Optoelectronics's space projects since 1989 is given below. Our optical detectors are mainly used for instrument payloads and platform control.