Through its subsidiary Teledyne Space Imaging, the company will provide near-infrared H4RG-10 focal plane arrays and custom electronics for integration into the observatory’s integral field spectrograph. The contract has been awarded by Schmidt Sciences, which is leading development of the Lazuli mission as part of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System.
The Lazuli Space Observatory is designed to expand global access to high-quality astronomical data while reducing development timelines for major scientific missions. Its core scientific focus includes observing nearby supernovae and other transient cosmic events to better understand the expansion of the universe, alongside broader research in time-domain astronomy, stellar and planetary science, and cosmology.
The observatory itself is a state-of-the-art, three-metre-class platform engineered for rapid-response observations and high-precision astrophysics across optical and near-infrared wavelengths. Its unobscured three-mirror anastigmat telescope is expected to deliver diffraction-limited imaging performance across a wide spectral band, supported by a suite of instruments, including a wide-field imager, a high-contrast coronagraph and an integral field spectrograph.
Teledyne’s H4RG-10 detectors will play a central role in enabling the spectrograph to capture and analyse extremely faint light signals from distant supernovae and other transient phenomena.
The technology offers high sensitivity and spectral resolution, allowing scientists to conduct precise measurements critical to understanding cosmic expansion and other fundamental astrophysical processes.
The H4RG-10 is a large-format detector featuring more than 16 million pixels, engineered for exceptionally low noise, high dynamic range and strong quantum efficiency.
The sensors have already been proven in a range of leading missions, including their selection for the wide-field instrument aboard the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, where they form part of the largest infrared focal plane ever deployed in space.
President of Teledyne Space Imaging, Megan Tremer, said the partnership would help unlock new frontiers in astronomy. “Our detectors are designed to meet the demands of cutting-edge astrophysical research and are ideally suited to probe the faintest signals from distant supernovae,” she said, adding that the collaboration would support more open and collaborative scientific discovery.
Lazuli represents a new model for privately driven, innovation-led space infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on rapid deployment and open data access. Operating from a lunar-resonant orbit, the observatory is expected to acquire targets within hours of detection and deliver processed, science-ready data to the global research community within days.
Director of Astrophysics at Schmidt Sciences, Arpita Roy, said the observatory’s instruments required detectors capable of operating across a wide dynamic range. “This is essential to support measurements spanning bright targets to extremely faint signals, including exoplanet atmospheres and transient astronomical events,” she said.
Teledyne Space Imaging brings extensive heritage to the program, having contributed imaging sensors and systems to more than 250 space missions across major agencies, including NASA, the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
The Lazuli mission is expected to significantly expand access to precision astronomical data, accelerating discovery and enabling researchers worldwide to better understand the universe.
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