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In summer 2025, the European Space Agency ESA plans to launch the MTG-S1 satellite from the third generation of the Meteosat series. The geostationary satellite will significantly improve the accuracy of weather forecasts for Europe. On board is a key component from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena: a high-precision diffraction grating. From June 24 to 27, Fraunhofer IOF will be presenting a copy of this complex optical component at the Laser World of Photonics trade fair in Munich.
MTG-S1 will carry several scientific instruments, including the Copernicus Sentinel-4 spectrometer. This instrument collects detailed hourly data on the three-dimensional distribution of trace gases such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide as well as aerosols in Europe's atmosphere. A key component of this spectrometer, the high-precision reflection grating, was developed and manufactured by Fraunhofer IOF.
Manufacturing technology for maximum demands
"The technology used was originally based on gratings for compressing ultrashort laser pulses," explains Dr. Falk Eilenberger, head of the Micro- and Nanostructured Optics department at Fraunhofer IOF. "Our aim was to develop extremely robust gratings with maximum reflectivity and simultaneously high angular dispersion as well as low polarization dependence."
Such gratings are produced in several high-precision steps. First, various dielectric layers are deposited to a substrate, with the top layer consisting of silicon dioxide (SiO₂). The desired nanostructure is then created using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. This is followed by lithographic coating with black chromium for the aperture, before the component is cut into its hexagonal shape and assembled with an accuracy of a few micrometers.
Many years of expertise for demanding space missions
The researchers at Fraunhofer IOF have decades of experience and an extensive portfolio of space-certified technologies. For the ESA FORUM mission planned for 2027, for example, the institute developed a diamond beam splitter with a special anti-reflective nanostructure. For the CO2M mission, also an ESA initiative, Fraunhofer IOF is supplying complex spectrometer optics, each consisting of a grating and two prisms. These components were joined by direct bonding using plasma-activated surfaces.
"Fraunhofer IOF's multiple involvement in various space missions is evidence of the ongoing development of corresponding expertise. Some of the processes used were developed and qualified specifically for special missions. What sets us apart is that all the necessary process steps, from design and production through to system integration, can be implemented directly here on site at Fraunhofer IOF," says Eilenberger.
The spectrometer grating for Sentinel-4 was developed and manufactured at Fraunhofer IOF on behalf of Jena-Optronik GmbH. Jena-Optronik in turn integrates the grating into the spectrometer.
Presentation at the Laser World of Photonics 2025
Interested visitors can experience Fraunhofer IOF's space-certified technologies, including the precision grating, at the Fraunhofer booth A2.415.
Disclaimer: This article was carried out under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency.
About Fraunhofer IOF
The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena conducts application-oriented research in the field of photonics and develops innovative optical systems for controlling light - from its generation and manipulation to its application. The institute's range of services covers the entire photonic process chain from opto-mechanical and opto-electronic system design to the production of customer-specific solutions and prototypes. At Fraunhofer IOF, about 500 employees work on the annual research volume of 40 million euros.
For more information about Fraunhofer IOF, please visit: http://www.iof.fraunhofer.de
Dr. Falk Eilenberger
Fraunhofer IOF
Head of Department Micro- and Nanostructured Optics
Phone: +49 (0) 3641 807 - 274
Mail: falk.eilenberger@iof.fraunhofer.de
https://www.iof.fraunhofer.de/en/pressrelease/2025/Spectrometer-grating-for-Sent...
The nanostructured grating for ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-4 instrument is mounted with micrometer pre ...
© Fraunhofer IOF
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The nanostructured grating for ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-4 instrument is mounted with micrometer pre ...
© Fraunhofer IOF
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