LIC and LID considerations in the design and implementation of the MEMS laser pointing mechanism for the EUSO UV laser altimeter

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design considerations for the MEMS laser pointing mechanism in the EUSO UV laser altimeter, focusing on LIC and LID mitigation strategies to ensure optimal performance in space-based cosmic ray detection.

Contribution

It introduces specific design and implementation strategies for LIC and LID mitigation in the MEMS laser pointing mechanism for the EUSO mission.

Findings

Effective LIC and LID mitigation strategies identified

Material selection and testing procedures optimized

Subsystem design enhances instrument reliability in space

Abstract

The EUSO (Extreme Universe Space Observatory) project is developing a new mission concept for the scientific research of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) from space. The EUSO wide-field telescope will look down from space onto the Earth night sky to detect UV photons emitted from air showers generated by UHECRs in our atmosphere. In this article we concentrate on the mitigation strategies agreed so far, and in particular on the implementation of a careful early selection and testing of subsystem materials (including optics), design and interfaces of the subsystem and an optimization of the instrument operational concept.