St. Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, United Kingdom — 19 May 2026 — Photonic Science and Engineering (“Photonic Science”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Andre Goodson as the new Managing Director, expanding his leadership responsibilities alongside his current role as Managing Director of Photek, a sister company to Photonic Science under Tibidabo Scientific Industries (“Tibidabo”).
“Andre has done an excellent job leading Photek, and we are delighted to extend his leadership to Photonic Science,” said Viktoriya Baytser, President of Tibidabo. “This is a natural step that will help bring our teams closer together and enhance how we serve our customers.”

Andre brings a strong track record of leadership and growth at Photek, where he has helped guide the business through a period of expansion and innovation across key market areas including defence and aerospace. In his expanded role, he will work closely across both organisations to strengthen collaboration, align capabilities, and support continued development of high-performance imaging solutions.

“I am honored to take on this additional responsibility,” said Andre. “By aligning the strengths of both Photek and Photonic Science, along with support from the wider Tibidabo Group, we will be well positioned to accelerate innovation, expand our capabilities, and deliver even greater value to our customers.”

At XCAM Scientific, we specialise in imaging the impossible. For over 30 years, we’ve developed advanced imaging solutions for the world’s most demanding environments. Today, that expertise is helping enable a new generation of space exploration.

On May 19, 2026, the SMILE mission (Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) is scheduled to lift off. This historic international project—a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)—aims to solve one of the great mysteries of space weather.

The Mission

SMILE (Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) will use four science instruments to study how Earth responds to the solar wind from the Sun. This will improve our understanding of solar storms, geomagnetic storms and the science of space weather.

XCAM Scientific’s Role in the ESA SMILE Mission

XCAM Scientific played a vital role in supporting the SMILE mission through the design and manufacture of advanced characterisation electronics for the imager detectors.

Used extensively during ground-based testing and calibration, these systems enabled teams to rigorously assess detector performance under demanding conditions, including radiation testing campaigns. This ensured the detectors were finely tuned and fully prepared for their journey into space.

XCAM Scientific’s characterisation electronics are engineered for flexibility and precision, allowing users to adjust bias voltages and control signals with exceptional accuracy. This capability provides deep insight into detector behaviour, supporting optimisation at every stage of development.

By delivering the tools needed to thoroughly test and refine detector performance, XCAM Scientific helped lay the groundwork for the mission’s success—demonstrating expertise in high-performance imaging technology and innovation.

On May 19, 2026, the SMILE Mission is scheduled to lift off. This historic international collaboration between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences aims to address one of the great mysteries of space weather: how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere.

Photek is proud to be a key contributor to this mission. Our advanced image intensifier technology is integrated into the spacecraft’s Ultraviolet Imager (UVI). At its core is the MCP118 image intensifier, designed for high sensitivity in the far-ultraviolet range.

This enables the UVI to capture continuous, high-quality images of Earth’s auroras and the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field by converting faint UV signals into visible light.

These observations will improve understanding of the Sun–Earth connection and enhance forecasting of space weather impacts on satellites and critical infrastructure, with Photek helping to reveal otherwise invisible phenomena.

About the Launch

Date: May 19, 2026    

Time: 05:52 CEST

Rocket: Vega-C            

Location: Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana

Destination: Highly elliptical orbit around Earth

March 2026 Newsletter

Dear Scintacor Community,

We’re excited to share the latest updates from Scintacor in our March 2026 Newsletter!

A Message from Scintacor – We reflect on a busy start to the year and an exciting period of activity for the company.

Team Spotlight – Meet Sam White, our new Technical Sales Manager, who brings a background in academic research and industrial X-ray inspection to the team.

Luminex Fine Phosphor Screens – Discover our modern standard for high-quality imaging, designed for seamless integration and easy replacement in medical and industrial systems.

Industry Highlights – A fantastic Q1 kick-off at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, where we engaged with partners on the latest in scintillation technology.

Charity of the Year – We are proud to support Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge, providing vital care for those living with life-limiting illnesses.

Upcoming Events – Catch us at dXCT at UCL, London, on 17–18 June 2026.

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LLA Instruments GmbH is pleased to announce that we have officially joined the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), the leading trade association representing companies involved in recycling and recycled materials.

We are proud to become part of ReMA’s global network and look forward to collaborating with fellow members to support innovation, sustainability, and best practices across the recycling and materials industries. We appreciate the warm welcome from the ReMA community and are excited about the opportunities ahead.

Membership in ReMA reflects LLA Instruments’ ongoing commitment to advancing measurement technologies that support efficient, transparent, and sustainable materials management.

Northampton, UK and Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday, Dec 16th – Tibidabo Scientific Industries Ltd (“Tibidabo”), a global leader in advanced imaging technologies for the scientific, space, and industrial markets, is delighted to announce the acquisition of XCAM Scientific Ltd (“XCAM”), a world-class developer of complete camera systems, with demonstrated history in vacuum-compatible applications and large-area, multi-detector solutions. This strategic milestone builds on XCAM’s distinguished heritage and reinforces Tibidabo’s commitment to advancing next-generation imaging.

Paul Murtagh, Chairman & CEO of Tibidabo, said, “We are thrilled to welcome XCAM Scientific into the Tibidabo group. Their world-class expertise in custom imaging solutions, space-qualified camera systems, and mission-critical cameras is an excellent complement to our portfolio and will enable us to push the boundaries of what is possible in space science and advanced instrumentation.”

Karen Holland, CEO of XCAM, added “Joining Tibidabo provides exciting opportunities to scale our business and collaborate across a more globally integrated team. We look forward to contributing our technical expertise and advancing the deployment of our imaging systems across both current and future space missions, while leveraging Tibidabo’s global reach, commercial infrastructure, and shared commitment to innovation and advancing science.”

XCAM has established a strong track record in delivering bespoke imaging systems for high-impact space missions. Recent achievements include advanced EMCCD technology for NASA’s OGRE mission, a high-performance camera for the WindCube “CubeSat” to measure thermospeheric winds in partnership with UCAR, and ESA’s forthcoming Particle Fallout Monitor for Ariane 6 to safeguard payload integrity. XCAM also supplied electronics and controllers for the C3D2 camera on the AlSat Nano CubeSat Mission, successfully demonstrating operational performance in orbit and increasing the TRL of its space-qualified electronics.

In addition, XCAM has secured significant support from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), enabling the development of ultra-low-light, CubeSat- compatible camera systems and strengthening international partnerships, including mission collaborations with ISRO.

About XCAM Scientific

Headquartered in Northampton, UK, XCAM Ltd has more than 30 years of experience delivering innovative CCD- and CMOS-based solutions for the most challenging imaging applications. In addition to a portfolio of standard products, XCAM is a recognized leader in the design and manufacture of complete camera systems, with proven expertise in vacuum-compatible technologies and large-area, multi-detector solutions. Their imaging systems are deployed across space, scientific, and industrial programs worldwide. For more information on XCAM products and applications, please visit https://xcamscientific.com/

About Tibidabo Scientific Industries

Tibidabo Scientific Industries is a global leader and supplier in highly differentiated technology for scientific research, aerospace, and industrial markets. We succeed by helping customers push boundaries in radiobiology, stem cell research, high-performance imaging, radiation detection, surveillance, space exploration and advanced scintillators. With our roots dating back to H2S phosphor screens in radar critical to the Allied defense during World War II, the impact of our products is now felt from the deepest recesses of the earth to the far reaches of space. Our collaborative approach and expanding global team enable our customers to make smarter decisions and adopt more effective solutions with ground-breaking technologies. For more information on Tibidabo Scientific Industries’ global presence, please visit https://tibidaboscientific.com/