The GLAST instrument, a gamma-ray large area space telescope

A large-scale application of silicon-strip detector technology is planned in the satellite-based gamma-ray telescope GLAST. The design and expected performance of the silicon detectors both for triggering and gamma-ray tracking is described. The size of the instrument and the special environment of launch and orbit in space require an R&D program, which is focussed on high performance of the electronics and reliability of all system aspects.