Case Study · Aerospace

Case Study: CO2M Telescope Structure for ESA Earth Observation

Together, we sharpen the view of our planet. How Connova AG, together with Thales Alenia Space Switzerland AG, developed, manufactured, and qualified the telescope structure for the Copernicus CO2M mission.

Published in October 2026, Connova AG, Villmergen

0.02 mm

Positioning accuracy at the optical interfaces of the finished assembly

0.2 mm

Form tolerance of the laminated individual parts thanks to compensated spring-in

Setup for all mounting points of the mirror optics on the CNC jig

The Project in Brief

For the Copernicus CO2M mission, Connova AG from Villmergen, together with Thales Alenia Space Switzerland AG, developed, manufactured, and qualified the telescope structure of an optical instrument. CO2M is designed to measure from orbit for the first time what proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere originates from human activity.

The structure must maintain its shape exactly throughout the entire mission duration: under launch loads, in a vacuum, and over thousands of temperature cycles. Connova was responsible for the entire value chain, from concept evaluation and material procurement to qualified flight hardware.

The result: up to 0.02 mm positioning accuracy at the optical interfaces. Read this page to find out how this was achieved. The complete case study with all images is available free of charge as a PDF.

The project belongs to the CFRP telescope structures for aerospace sector, a core segment of our Composites for Aerospace.

CO2M telescope structure – qualified assembly (Source: Connova AG)

Your Contacts for this Project

Engineering, production, and quality assurance worked under one roof for CO2M. Speak directly with the people responsible for aerospace projects like this one.

Taylan Toprak

Head of Sales & Project Management · Connova Group

Graduate Aerospace Engineer (TU Munich) with over 30 years of experience in aerospace engineering. Your contact for aerospace projects with similar requirements.

Taylan.Toprak@connova.com
+41 56 619 10 95
Profile of Taylan Toprak

Sebastian Preiss

Head of Engineering · Connova AG

Leads the engineering at Connova AG. His team evaluated the design approaches for CO2M together with Thales Alenia Space Switzerland and took the spring-in of the composite components into account during the design phase.

Design and Calculation

Silvan Ventura

Project Lead Space Structures · Connova Group

Specialist in the manufacture of precise CFRP structures for aerospace. Responsible for telescope structures and optical baseplates, from feasibility studies to flight-qualified delivery. At CO2M, he was responsible for the production of the telescope structures.

Telescope structures at Connova
Optical Baseplates

Meet the whole team at the Switzerland location

Download the complete Case Study for free

In the PDF, you will find the entire project story on four pages, ideal for sharing with your project team. Fill out the form and we will send you the case study directly by email.

What to expect in the PDF

Initial situation and goal of the CO2M mission
Requirements for a dimensionally stable telescope structure in orbit
Verification and qualification program including outgassing behavior
Spring-in compensation and precision manufacturing in detail
Image gallery of the qualified assembly with detailed shots
Project profile, scope of services, and contact persons

PDF · 4 Pages · DE / EN

Project at a Glance

Kunde	Thales Alenia Space Schweiz AG
Programm	ESA Copernicus CO2M
Anwendung	Teleskopstrukturen für Erdbeobachtungsinstrumente
Leistungsumfang	Design, Materialbeschaffung, Fertigung, Assembly und Qualifikation
Technologien	High-Performance Composites, Präzisionsbearbeitung, Raumfahrtqualifikation
Branche	Raumfahrt / Earth-Observation-Missionen
Positionsgenauigkeit	bis zu 0,02 mm an den optischen Schnittstellen
Formtoleranz Einzelteile	0,2 mm

CO2M Telescope Structure (Source: Connova AG)

Initial Situation: How much CO₂ comes from humans – and from where?

Over 190 states committed to measurable emission targets in the Paris Climate Agreement. How much carbon dioxide actually comes from human activity and from which regions or plants can only be determined approximately today: national inventories are based predominantly on projections.

The Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Mission (CO2M) is intended to close this gap. ESA is developing it on behalf of the European Union. Three satellites will provide data from an altitude of around 735 kilometers to record emissions over individual power plants, metropolitan areas, regions, and entire states, thus independently verifying climate targets.

For the measurement to be successful, the optical instrument on board must maintain its shape exactly. This is where a structure comes into play that no one will ever see in operation: the telescope structure, developed and manufactured in Villmergen.

Mission Data: Copernicus SentiWiki – CO2M · ESA – Copernicus Sentinel Missions

The Challenge: Dimensionally Stable in Orbit

Space-qualified telescope structures must simultaneously fulfill requirements that technically stand in each other’s way. For CO2M, it was necessary to meet the specifications of the instrument while also complying with the strict requirements of the European aerospace industry:

Minimum weight with extraordinary stiffness
Thermal stability over the entire operating range
Highest dimensional accuracy at all optical interfaces
Long-term performance of the optical system in orbit
Seamless quality, documentation, and traceability

Conventional construction methods reach their limits with this combination. What is required is a fiber composite construction whose behavior is fully understood even in the design phase. The properties of composites show why fiber composites have an advantage here.

Optical interfaces of the CO2M telescope structure (Source: Connova AG)

The Solution: From Concept Evaluation to Flight Hardware

In the concept phase, the engineering teams from Connova and Thales Alenia Space Switzerland evaluated various design approaches to optimally combine stiffness, mass, interfaces, and thermomechanical behavior. Because engineering, production, and quality assurance at Connova work in the same house, communication paths remained short in all project phases.

01 / Qualification

Verification and Qualification

Following the definition of the design, a comprehensive verification and qualification program followed. Connova investigated the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the composite laminates and metallic materials on representative coupons. In addition, the outgassing behavior of all materials was evaluated, including the adhesive. The results formed the basis for the final material and process release.

More on this: Measurement and Testing · Quality Assurance according to EN 9100

02 / Design

Spring-in: Compensated Before it Occurs

During curing, direction-dependent shrinkage and thermal expansion effects occur in composite components, which change the geometry: so-called spring-in. Connova already took these effects into account analytically and numerically during the design phase and specifically adapted the geometry, laminate structure, and production tools. This allowed the laminated individual parts to be manufactured within a form tolerance of 0.2 mm.

More on this: Design and Calculation · Mold and Tool Making

03 / Manufacturing

Precision in Every Manufacturing Step

Connova positioned the laminate structure precisely and reproducibly using laser-assisted projection. Specially developed precision bonding jigs were used for assembly and bonding. Subsequently, all mounting points for the mirror optics were post-processed on a CNC jig in a single setup. This minimizes tolerance chains over several processing steps and results in up to 0.02 mm positioning accuracy at the optical interfaces.

More on this: Process Development and Work Preparation · Assembly · Composite Machining

The Result: Qualified Telescope Structures for CO2M

The qualified telescope structures meet the CO2M program’s requirements for weight, stability, and precision. Thanks to the full-service approach, all work steps were carried out from a single source, from the initial concept phase to the qualified assembly.

Key Parameters

Finished assembly: Positioning accuracy up to 0.02 mm at the optical interfaces
Laminated individual parts: Form tolerance of 0.2 mm through compensated spring-in
Laminate structure using laser-assisted projection
Bonding with specially developed precision bonding jigs
All optical mounting points CNC post-processed in a single setup
Qualification on representative coupons including outgassing behavior

A Project that Went Through the Whole House

“Success is based on the close integration of the various departments as well as on the partnership-based cooperation with Thales Alenia Space Switzerland. Through the continuous exchange across all project phases, complex requirements for precision, materials, processes, and qualification could be reliably transferred into a flight-worthy structure.”

– Sebastian Preiss, Head of Engineering, Connova AG

View into the structure – mounting points of the optical components (Source: Connova AG)

Scope of Services: Everything from a Single Source

From material selection to compliance documentation according to ESA standards, the value creation lay with Connova. The services were distributed across our areas of expertise as follows:

Engineering & Development

Design, Materials, Layout

Design and development of the telescope structures, definition and selection of suitable materials, and design with compensated spring-in.

Composites

Material and Individual Parts

Procurement of qualified aerospace materials and manufacture of individual parts and composite components with laser-positioned laminate structure.

CNC Machining

Precision Machining and Integration

Post-processing of all mounting points of the mirror optics in a single setup, for up to 0.02 mm positioning accuracy at the optical interfaces.

Processing & Support

Assembly, Testing, Documentation

Assembly of the units with precision bonding jigs, qualification and acceptance tests as well as documentation and compliance verification according to ESA standards.

Are you planning an aerospace project with similar requirements?

Talk to us about materials, tolerances, and qualification, or read the full case study first. You can also use our contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions about the CO2M Project

What is the CO2M mission?

CO2M stands for Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Mission. ESA is developing it on behalf of the European Union. Three satellites are intended to measure from an altitude of around 735 kilometers what proportion of atmospheric carbon dioxide is of human origin – over individual power plants, metropolitan areas, regions, and entire states. This allows climate targets to be independently verified.

What role did Connova have in the CO2M project?

Connova AG from Villmergen developed and manufactured the telescope structure together with Thales Alenia Space Switzerland AG. Connova was responsible for the entire value chain: design, material selection, procurement of aerospace materials, manufacture of individual parts, precision machining, assembly, qualification and acceptance tests, and documentation according to ESA standards.

How precise is the CO2M telescope structure?

The finished assembly achieves a positioning accuracy of up to 0.02 mm at the optical interfaces. The laminated individual parts were manufactured within a form tolerance of 0.2 mm. This was made possible, among other things, by post-processing all mounting points of the mirror optics in a single setup on a CNC jig.

What is spring-in and how was it compensated?

Spring-in refers to the change in shape of composite components during curing: direction-dependent shrinkage and thermal expansion effects change the geometry. Connova already took these effects into account analytically and numerically during the design phase and specifically adapted the geometry, laminate structure, and production tools.

What does the case study PDF contain?

The four-page PDF describes the project from concept evaluation to the qualified assembly: initial situation, requirements, verification and qualification program, manufacturing details, image gallery, project profile, and scope of services. You can receive it free of charge by email, in German or English.

How do I start a comparable aerospace project with Connova?

The easiest way is with an initial conversation with Taylan Toprak, Head of Sales & Project Management. In a feasibility analysis, we clarify requirements, materials, and the production route together. You can reach him at Taylan.Toprak@connova.com or +41 56 619 10 95.

Further reading: Feasibility Analysis and Consultation

About Connova AG

Connova AG – New Ways in Composites develops and manufactures custom composite components in Villmergen, including for Aviation, Aerospace, Motorsport and Automotive, as well as Industry and Automation. The quality management system is certified according to ISO 9001:2015 and the aerospace standard EN 9100:2018. Learn more about locations, organization, and values under About Us.

Note: The project underlying these results was carried out and funded under a program of the European Space Agency (ESA). The views expressed in this publication in no way reflect the official opinion of ESA.