Liège Space Centre – CSL Developing space technologies

Liège Space Centre – CSL Developing space technologies

A research centre operated by the University of Liège, Liège Space Centre (CSL) employs 100 people and leads almost 60 projects for an annual turnover figure of €14M. It has the advantage of being a non-profit organisation, which means that it gets 100% funding from industrial contracts and R&D collaborations.

Founded in 1959 as part of the Astrophysics Department of the University of Liege, the CSL owes its existence to its forerunner, the ESA, which wanted to have tests carried out and scientific optical instruments calibrated. Its reputation soon gained momentum and it became, from 1976, the chief centre for tests coordinated by the ESA. All scientific optical satellites must pass through the CSL, which tests their spatial qualification. These tests are carried out, specifically, in very large vacuum tanks that can reach 6.5 m. Many industrialists regularly use it, such as Thales Alenia Space, OHB and Airbus.

As well as these tests, the CSL designs optical instruments for use in space for the ESA and NASA with the support of the BELSPO. It also develops thermal, mechanical and electronic engineering expertise in conjunction with the manufacture of these instruments. Finally, the CSL forms technological partnerships for R&D projects with Walloon and European industries as well as with research centres. The aim of these upstream research projects is the development of technologies that can be used in space.

The CSL is involved in several scientific space missions.

These include the ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) mission of ESA's Cosmic Vision program.

“ARIEL will study what exoplanets are made of, how they formed and how they evolve, by surveying a diverse sample of about 1000 extrasolar planets, simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. It is the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and thermal structures of hundreds of transiting exoplanets, enabling planetary science far beyond the boundaries of the Solar System.” Belgium participates in ARIEL within a European consortium led by the United Kingdom. From 2020, the CSL will be in charge of cold validation tests of the primary mirror of the telescope. It is approximately 1 m in diameter and will be cooled to -230 ° C.

The CSL is responsible for the assembly and alignment of the telescope. In the current design phases, it plays a key role in the verification of pre-studies and in the control of interfaces. It is then in the clean rooms and vacuum tanks of the CSL that the assemblies and the optical performance tests, at cryogenic temperature, will be carried out. The launch of ARIEL is scheduled for 2028.

© Liège Space Centre

© Liège Space Centre

Centre spatial de Liège Université de Liège Liège Science Park Avenue du Pré - 4031 Angleur Tel.: +32 (0)4 382 46 00 - Fax: +32 (0)4 367 56 13 Email: shabraken@uliege.be - http:// www.csl.uliege.be