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Context.The Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) is part of the remote sensing instrument package of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission that will explore the inner heliosphere and observe the Sun from vantage points close to the Sun and out of the ecliptic. Solar Orbiter will advance the “connection science” between solar activity and the heliosphere.Aims.With EUI we aim to improve our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the solar atmosphere, globally as well as at high resolution, and from high solar latitude perspectives.Methods.The EUI consists of three telescopes, the Full Sun Imager and two High Resolution Imagers, which are optimised to image in Lyman-αand EUV (17.4 nm, 30.4 nm) to provide a coverage from chromosphere up to corona. The EUI is designed to cope with the strong constraints imposed by the Solar Orbiter mission characteristics. Limited telemetry availability is compensated by state-of-the-art image compression, onboard image processing, and event selection. The imposed power limitations and potentially harsh radiation environment necessitate the use of novel CMOS sensors. As the unobstructed field of view of the telescopes needs to protrude through the spacecraft’s heat shield, the apertures have been kept as small as possible, without compromising optical performance. This led to a systematic effort to optimise the throughput of every optical element and the reduction of noise levels in the sensor.Results.In this paper we review the design of the two elements of the EUI instrument: the Optical Bench System and the Common Electronic Box. Particular attention is also given to the onboard software, the intended operations, the ground software, and the foreseen data products.Conclusions.The EUI will bring unique science opportunities thanks to its specific design, its viewpoint, and to the planned synergies with the other Solar Orbiter instruments. In particular, we highlight science opportunities brought by the out-of-ecliptic vantage point of the solar poles, the high-resolution imaging of the high chromosphere and corona, and the connection to the outer corona as observed by coronagraphs.

In the past, we developed a holographic interferometry technique based on photorefractive materials for high resolution measurement of structures deformation. In this paper we present the early results of development of a holographic technique and facility for deformation and expansion measurement of aerospace composites components. Here the holographic technique consists in using several illumination beams for retrieving different components of the displacement vector. In our case the components and structures to be measured in the future will undergo temperatures excursions up to 150°C typically. Since holographic techniques are sensitive to air turbulences, it is necessary to place the samples in a vacuum chamber. We will present some early examples of measurements with this facility, obtained for temperatures excursions ranged between ambient and 29°C as first steps before going further to higher temperatures excursions.

The next generation of infrared - sub mm space telescopes requires reflectors with large dimensions, high quality and, according to weight issues, are based on composite or new materials technology. The challenging tasks of on-ground testing are to achieve the required accuracy in the measurement of these reflectors shape and antenna structures and to verify their performance under simulated space conditions (vacuum, low-high temperatures). A holographic camera for the verification and validation of this type of reflector in a space environment is presented. A diffuser is implemented to measure the deformations of reflective surfaces in a more flexible way. The system has been made compatible with the vacuum conditions. Some elements of the holographic camera (camera lenses, CCD, crystal, optical fibre) have been adapted and tested under vacuum. The metrological certification of the whole system is realised by the measurement of a parabolic CFRP reflector with a 1.1 meter diameter. The results are compared to the one achieved with a high spatial resolution IR interferometer on the same reflector in laboratory conditions and under thermal vacuum conditions. This later test consists in measuring the deformations of the reflector between an initial state at a selected temperature and a final state at another temperature. The comparison between the high spatial resolution IR interferometer and this dynamic holographic method showed very good qualitative and quantitative agreement between the techniques, thus verifying the potential of this new Holographic approach.

The IMAGE FUV-SI is simultaneously imaging auroras at 121.8 nm and 135.8 nm. The spectrograph design challenge is the efficient rejection of the intense Lyman-alpha emission at 121.6 nm while passing its Doppler-shifted component at 121.8 nm. The FUV-SI opto-mechanical design, analysis integration, and verification of performances against environment are discussed in this paper. In absence of STM environmental constraints at subsystem levels are derived analytically from F.E.M. and used for pre-qualifying optical subsystems.

The next generation of infrared - sub mm space telescopes requires some reflectors with large dimensions and high quality. These ones, according to weight issues, are based on composite materials for which the behaviors at low temperatures are badly known. A holographic interferometry method for the verification and validation of this type of reflectors in a space environment is presented. It is based on a dynamic holographic camera observing a diffuser illuminated by the object beam coming from the reflecting surface. Photorefractive crystals being self-processing and reusable mediums, the measuring range of the holographic camera is increased with respect to other optical interferometric methods. The metrological certification of the whole system was realised by the measurement of a parabolic antenna with a 1.1 meter diameter, a known behavior and placed in a simulated space environment.