DEFINITION:

The Science Instruments, Observatories, and Sensor Systems technology area encompasses technologies to collect disparate types of data from Earth and space. These technologies are either identified to satisfy a particular mission need (“pull technologies”) or to develop new measurement techniques that may lead to new scientific discoveries (“push technologies”). This TA is broken into three sub areas: remote sensing instruments and sensors;
observatories; and in situ instruments and sensors. These technologies are applicable to missions from very small to large

(Source: NASA TA8 (for 1 I 1, 1 I 2 and 1 I 3 and ESA TD 16A, 16B and 16C (except 16C VI included into 1 H 9))