Image: Proba-2’s glimpse of home

As ESA’s veteran Proba-2 mission screens the sun, it additionally takes occasional glimpses again to its homeworld—as seen on this expansive view of western Europe.

On the underside of the washing-machine-sized satellite is an espresso-cup sized camera, the compact Exploration Digicam, X-Cam, manufactured by Swiss firm Micro-Cameras & House Exploration. Observing in visible light, the monochrome X-Cam has a 100° discipline of view.

The X-Cam was one among 17 experimental applied sciences launched into Proba-2 when it was launched again in 2009. The intention was to provide these applied sciences early flight experiment, serving to to market them to clients.

Stephane Beauvivre, CEO of Micro-Cameras & House Exploration feedback, “We’re nonetheless utilizing the X-Cam on Proba-2 often—it is extremely fascinating in an effort to promote our merchandise and present that it nonetheless works in spite of everything these years in orbit.

“Since then we have flown different cameras which are used to observe deployments of satellite appendages, in addition to throughout planetary flybys, equivalent to on Sentinel-1A, BepiColombo and Juice.

“We now have additionally not too long ago delivered to NASA all of the cameras—offering navigation, hazard and aft views—for the VIPER rover, which is able to mark NASA’s first lunar touchdown for the reason that Apollo program.”