Thanks to PRODEX

Space instruments with Empa know-how

Jun 8, 2016 | ANINA STEINLIN
On one side Empa is very down to the earth and works in the longest tunnel of the world; on the other she can bring in her competences to bear in the vastness of the universe. Last Monday Empa CEO Gian-Luca Bona had the honor to open the national information event of PRODEX at the Empa Akademie.
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Copyright: Empa, Hans Rudolf Elsener

PRODEX is an program by the European Space Agency (ESA) that allows research institutes together with their industrial partners to develop instruments and experiments in space science. The event served to inform guests from science, economics and industry about PRODEX as well as about other possibilities for collaborations in space. Moreover, attendees could celebrate the program’s 30th anniversary and were presented an impressive Swiss success story. Since 18 years Empa is part of space missions under PRODEX: Rosetta, BepiColombo, Luna and soon Juice all have analysis instruments on board that have been developed in Empa labs. For instance Rosina is a mass spectrometer on board of Rosetta. For Rosina Empa scientist Hans Rudolf Elsener developed a highly complex metal ceramic sensor in close collaboration with the University of Bern.