Grisons Instrument for Soft X-ray Analysis

A 10 cm cube that watches the Sun

GIAN measures solar flares in EUV and soft X-rays for space weather forecast. Designed by PMOD/WRC in Davos, Switzerland and compact enough to fly on any sun-pointing mission.

Get in touch Explore the instrument
Transparent CAD rendering of GIAN showing the housing, detector boards and optics inside
GIAN — structure & electronics
Background: Solar Orbiter/EUI Team / ESA & NASA

The instrument

Fits in your hand.
Built for space.

Measures solar activity

and Earth's atmospheric response to it

Compact

fits into a 10 cm cube

4 optical channels

in EUV and soft X-ray

Low data volume

1 MB per orbit in LEO

Simple interface

4 screws and 2 electrical connectors

CAD rendering of the GIAN instrument housing with mounting brackets
Front view
A hand holding the GIAN engineering model, a milled aluminium cube of 10 centimetres
GIAN fits in one hand

Objectives

Five reasons GIAN exists

  1. Observe solar flares

    by measuring EUV and soft X-ray irradiance

  2. Study the evolution of Earth's atmosphere

    by measuring during eclipses

  3. Forecast atmospheric density, satellite drag and radio communication conditions

    by studying Earth's atmospheric response to solar flares

  4. Develop the instrument with apprentices and students

    to teach our future space enthusiasts

  5. Swiss made, compact and versatile

    to fit any sun-pointing mission

Infographic of space weather effects: solar flares and coronal mass ejections disturbing satellites, aviation, navigation, radio communication and power grids
Why it matters: space weather disturbs satellites, navigation, aviation and power grids. Credit: ESA/Science Office, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Team

Engineers, scientists and apprentices

GIAN is deliberately built as a training project: apprentices and students work side by side with senior engineers and scientists.

Portrait of Prof. Louise Harra in a yellow flight suit with the GIAN mission patch

Prof. Louise Harra

Scientific Lead

Portrait of Florian Reinhard in a yellow flight suit with the GIAN mission patch

Florian Reinhard

Project Manager

Portrait of Dr. Christian Marty in a yellow flight suit with the GIAN mission patch

Dr. Christian Marty

Systems & Electronics Engineer

Portrait of Markus Heim in a yellow flight suit with the GIAN mission patch

Markus Heim

Mechanical Engineer

Portrait of Sarina Heim in a yellow flight suit with the GIAN mission patch

Sarina Heim

Electronics Apprentice

Portrait of Tomas Bartko in a yellow flight suit with the GIAN mission patch

Tomas Bartko

Mechanics Apprentice

The institute

PMOD/WRC, Davos

The Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos / World Radiation Center serves as an international calibration centre for meteorological radiation instruments, develops radiation instruments for use on the ground and in space, and researches the influence of solar radiation on Earth's climate.

Established in 1907, the institute operates the World Radiation Center on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). PMOD/WRC is a non-profit research institute and part of the SFI, the Swiss Research Institute for High Altitude Climate and Medicine in Davos.

Radiometers developed and built at PMOD/WRC are among the most accurate of their kind. Data collected with these instruments feed international research on climate change and solar physics — and teaching students is part of the institute's research mission.

www.pmodwrc.ch →
The PMOD/WRC observatory building in Davos at night under a starry sky
PMOD/WRC at night

Partners

ETH Zürich Space logo ETH Zürich logo FIRST ePIX logo

Contact

Fly GIAN on your mission

Interested in the instrument, the data, or a collaboration? We would love to hear from you.

gian@pmodwrc.ch
PMOD/WRC · Dorfstrasse 33 · 7260 Davos Dorf · Switzerland
Background: Solar Orbiter/EUI, ESA & NASA; data: E. Kraaikamp (ROB)