Welcome to Onera, the French Aerospace Lab

Space environment – A new tool to characterize the atmospheric radiation environment

Collaboration between ONERA, the Midi-Pyrénées Observatory and the IRSN to improve knowledge of natural radiation environments and their dynamics

Since May 2011 the neutron spectrometer developed in collaboration with the French Nuclear Safety Institute IRSN (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire) has been operational at the Pic du Midi, within the framework of a partnership with the OMP (Midi-Pyrénées Observatory).

The objectives of this operational measurement phase, which will last several years, are on the one hand to study the dynamics of the atmospheric radiation environment as a function of the atmospheric physical conditions, and of space meteorology, and on the other hand to study Single Event Effects in electronic components.

The neutron spectrometer designed by the IRSN,
expert in neutronic measurement

The spectrometer is installed on a platform at the
Pic du Midi Observatory (at an altitude of 2890m)