LIDAX is a space technology company, founded at the beginning of the year 2000. It designs and manufactures advanced mechanical equipments that form part of complex space flight systems and instruments for Earth observation (
EarthCARE,
Meteosat), planetary exploration (
Exomars), astrophysics instrumentation (
James Webb Space Telescope,
BepiColombo,
Plato,
World Space Observatory) and telecom. The activities of the company encompass all aspects, from conceptual design, through integration and testing up to realization; both for satellite and on-ground instrumentation (OGSE & MGSE).
Engineers and technicians represent practically the 90% of the company's personnel. LIDAX also owns a specialized laboratory called SMARTLAB for testing space mechanisms and subsystems. In the Smartlab, the performance of mechanisms can be measured under different environmental conditions, thus, measurement tests with optical metrology can be carried out under vacuum,
cryogenic and
high temperature environments.
Since 2014, LIDAX forms part of SUMA Aerospace, a consortium set up with another three companies to become an internationally recognized organization for the design, manufacturing, commercialization and maintenance of electro-mechanical equipments for the aeronautic sector.
Activity Areas
The activities of Lidax are focused mainly on the following areas:
Space Instrumentation: Development of space innovative instrumentation such as
cryogenic instruments, far infra-red instruments and robotic exploration. Specifically, focal plane assemblies, optical mounts for space telescopes, spectrometers and active folding mirrors.
Space systems and components such as deployment mechanisms,
cryogenic submicron linear
Actuator submicron X-Y
stage, M2 hexapods, space dry lubricated gearboxes, hold down and release mechanisms, qualified flexible thermal links,...
On-ground instruments: Part of innovative scientific instruments such as, telescope instrumentation – atmosphere and telescope simulators for new adaptive optical methods –, particle accelerators – structural components or mechanisms for Cryomodules –, and others.