The first pictures received from the Space Technology Research Vehicle 2 (STRV2) demonstrate that the infra- red detectors designed and built by BAE Systems are operating successfully and the infrared telescope is functioning correctly.
BAE Systems delivered the infrared detectors as part of the principal instrument on the vehicle which was recently launched by a Pegasus rocket. It was built by the Defence Evaluation & Research Agency (DERA) in the UK and is designed to spot aircraft from space.
At the heart of the telescope is the infra red detector built and assembled at BAE Systems Infra Red at Southampton, UK. This state-of-the-art detector consists of two linear arrays. Each is cooled to 80(K by a Stirling engine to eliminate thermal noise. The arrays are push broom scanned by the motion of the satellite to generate two images of the earth's surface. Frame differencing is then employed to reveal moving aircraft, potentially giving speed and direction information.
Source: Flight Daily News