The Payload Technology Validation Section (Future mission preparation Office) at ESTEC is in charge of specific mission oriented validation activities, for science and robotic exploration missions, aiming at reducing development risks in the implementation phase. These activities take place during the early mission phases or during the implementation itself. In this framework, a test set up to characterize the quantum efficiency of near infrared detectors has been developed.The first detector to be tested will an HAWAII-2RG detector with a 2.5um cut off, it will be used as commissioning device in preparation to the tests of prototypes European detectors developed under ESA funding. The capability to compare on the same setup detectors from different manufacturers will be a unique asset for the future mission preparation office. This publication presents the performances of the quantum efficiency test bench to prepare measurements on the HAWAII-2RG detector. A SOFRADIR Saturn detector has been used as a preliminary test vehicle for the bench. A test set up with a lamp, chopper, monochromator, pinhole and off axis mirrors allows to create a spot of 1mm diameter between 700nm and 2.5um.The shape of the beam has been measured to match the rms voltage read by the Merlin Lock -in amplifier and the amplitude of the incoming signal. The reference detectors have been inter-calibrated with an uncertainty up to 3 %. For the measurement with HAWAII-2RG detector, the existing cryostat [1] has been modified to adapt cold black baffling, a cold filter wheel and a sapphire window. An statistic uncertainty of ±2.6% on the quantum efficiency on the detector under test measurement is expected.

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Abstract. This paper describes a double-station camera setup in the Canary Islands, called CILBO (Canary Island LongBaseline Observatory). Image-intensified video camerasone camera on Tenerife and one on La Palma -monitor the same volume of the atmosphere. They are located in automated roll-off roofs. From the obtained data, the meteoroid trajectory can be computed. A second camera on Tenerife is equipped with an objective grating. For bright meteors (typically 0 mag or brighter), a spectrum is recorded which allows constraining the chemical composition of the meteor. The system is completely automated and sends the obtained data after every observation night to a central FTP server. It has been in operation for about 2 yr and the first scientific results have been produced.

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