Lens R&D and PhotonFirst join forces to bring space grade photonic innovation from concept to scalable production, starting with the MAUS CubeSat sun sensor and its custom PIC package. This partnership combines Lens R&D’s heritage in high reliability sun sensors with PhotonFirst’s PIC packaging capabilities for harsh environments.
At the heart of MAUS is a four quadrant photodiode that measures incident sunlight from different angles. By comparing the light intensity on each quadrant, the satellite can calculate the precise direction of the Sun and thus determine its optimal attitude relative to Earth. This capability is critical for tasks such as power generation, thermal management, and pointing accuracy on board small
Lens R&D’s long track record in aerospace and its well defined EN9100 aligned processes allow it to adapt demanding space requirements into manufacturable, high reliability products. For MAUS, this means translating a highly specialized, radiation hardened sensor concept into a design that is not only robust enough for space, but also ready for production from hundreds into thousands of units.
To achieve this, Lens R&D provided the space qualified design of the PIC package around the MAUS sensing concept, ensuring that optical performance, mechanical robustness, and radiation hardness are all embedded in the package architecture.
For the MAUS sun sensor, Lens R&D developed the space‑qualified PIC package design around its four‑quadrant photodiode concept. This design balances several demanding requirements: ultra‑low profile for easy CubeSat integration, high radiation hardness for interplanetary missions, and high reliability for long‑duration operation in orbit. The result is a PIC package that can house the radiation‑hardened sensor die, protect it from the space environment, and provide a compact, robust electrical interface via a standard nano‑D connector.
PhotonFirst translated this space‑qualified design into a repeatable manufacturing process for the PIC packages. Using our standardized PIC packaging capabilities - die placement, wire bonding, precise placement of optical components, connector integration and rigorous testing - PhotonFirst delivers the space‑qualified production of the MAUS PIC packages at scale. Our high‑mix, low‑to‑mid volume model is ideal for ramping MAUS from the first hundreds of units to thousands, while maintaining tight control over yield and performance.
This division of roles, Lens R&D as design authority for the space package, PhotonFirst as manufacturing expert, ensures that critical knowledge is embedded where it matters most: radiation‑hardened sensor behavior at Lens R&D, and high‑precision, industrializable PIC packaging at PhotonFirst. For satellite builders, it means a sensor that is both flight‑proven in concept and reliably reproducible in production.
The Lens R&D–PhotonFirst cooperation around MAUS demonstrates a blueprint for future photonic systems in space: co designed, space qualified PIC packages that can be manufactured reliably and at scale. As photonics moves deeper into satellite platforms for attitude control, structural health monitoring, and advanced sensing, having a supply chain that spans radiation hardened design and harsh environment packaging will be essential.