Currently, I’m mainly working on the space project Heat Transfer Host 2 – HTH2, which is expected to be installed in the International Space Station in 2023. In this project, 4 different optical diagnostics are employed to study 3 different experiments on evaporation and condensation of liquids in microgravity. The outcome of the experiments should benefit, among others, the design and efficiency of the heat exchange surfaces in heat pipes, chillers and air-conditioners.

What I love most about my job is the variety of the technical and scientific aspects that I see in the different projects. 

Among the many different fields, I’m particularly excited about developing hyperspectral imaging systems, like the HYPE camera developed at Lambda-X. These systems deliver images in which every pixel stores a spectral information that reveals the chemical or biological nature of the sample. The challenge is to combine spatial resolution and spectral sensitivity. The number of application fields is rapidly increasing, ranging from medical diagnosis to food and drugs quality control, from art conservation to environmental control.

What I love most about my job is the variety of the technical and scientific aspects that I see in the different projects. Each project also brings its own technical challenge, which I find very motivating. As a system engineer, I follow the project as a whole, linking the different specialties (electronics, optical design, mechanics and software), and I integrate and validate the optical system in the laboratory. All of this makes it very satisfying when the instrument is finally sent out to the client!

Interested in becoming an Optical System Engineer  or working at Verhaert High-Tech/ Lambda-X like Serena?