The Sentinel 3 satellite has successfully reached its orbit. Carrying a suite of state-of-the-art instruments, Sentinel- 3 is set to play a key role in Copernicus, the world’s largest environmental monitoring programme operated by the European Commission. It will provide highly accurate measurements on Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere.

AIM INFRAROT-MODULE GmbH was selected by ESA (responsible for the Satellite Procurement), Thales Alenia Space (the prime contractor of the satellite) and Finmeccanica (the prime contractor of the SLSTR) to supply most challenging IR-detectors as key components of the most important instrument aboard Sentinel 3, the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR). The SLSTR is scanning the earth’s surface to provide temperature profiles with outstanding resolution and precision by combining results of multiple infrared channels. An additional fire channel allows detection of forest fires or other hot spots on earth to identify CO2 sources for disaster monitoring and climate control.

Six infrared detectors ranging from 1.6μm to 12μm spectral band were developed, manufactured and qualified by AIM, reflecting AIM’s overall capabilities and heritage. Such highly complex detectors with packaging and cryoharnesses produced according to space-grade standards are worldwide available from a few manufacturers only.


"We are very proud to participate in this important European mission" emphasized Dr. Wolfgang Cabanski, CEO of AIM. "Sentinel 3 is another important milestone to highlight AIM’s outstanding performance and reliability in IR-detector technology under the most challenging conditions of space. With Sentinel 3 we strengthen our heritage in space which we regard a strategic focus area of our business."

"We are happy to congratulate AIM’s staff for the successful completion of Sentinel 3" complimented the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR). "This instrument will improve the database for the worldwide climate research and prediction. AIM has provided substantial support for the European research community. With AIM INFRAROT-MODULE GmbH, a strategic supplier for infrared detector devices is located in Germany."