Created by the ULiège, the Centre spatial de Liège is a research center dedicated to space instrumentation including environmental test facilities and high level laboratories. It works for the European Space Agency (ESA), for the space industry and for regionals firms.
CSL activities are organized in 3 programs:
Tests: characterization and qualification of space hardware in severe environment.
Space Systems: definition, design, integration, ground and flight calibration of scientific payloads under the authority of Space Agencies (ESA, NASA, JAXA...).
Technology: research & development support in the following fields: Optical Design & Metrology, Mechanical & Thermal
Signal Processing
CSL activities on radar imagery processing have resulted in the creation of the "Space Environment and Remote Sensing Group" which has acquired an international reputation in the field of SAR data processing.
Electronics
The lab has a state of the art expertise in microcontrollers, digital electronics, analog circuits, radiation resistance, ITAR, etc. The team has the ability to join those expertises in order to design, integrate and validate global electronic systems for the space payloads.
Surface Engineering
Our lab mastered surface treatments based on deposit coatings, ion beam figuring, reactive plasma etching, surface micro texturing and related metrology.
Lasers & NDT
The competences of the group are centered on laser metrology system developments. Typical systems developed are a high resolution holographic camera for non-destructive testing and full-field deformation metrology, laser distance-meter, … The group extends its expertise to other techniques : shearography, thermography, laser ultrasounds.
Optical design & Metrology
The Optical design and metrology lab covers different activities: Development of optical ground support equipment, new metrology tools, flight metrology instrumentation, and support to industry in metrology problems..
Mechanics & Thermics
Amongst the wide spectrum of our competences, we want to highlight: Cryogenics, qpace mechanisms for optical instruments, qolar concentration, thermal control.
Test facilities
The CSL performs various qualifications on space instruments or equipments by submitting them to environmental space conditions. The specific CSL assets in the test laboratory are : Hyperclean environment, tailored thermal environment from cryogenics (4°K) to hot cases (160°C), optical oriented design and calibration expertise.
Quality
The lab is especially becoming a reference in organic contamination analyses, performed to verify that the stringent contamination and cleanliness specifications applied to spacecraft materials and associated equipment are met.
