Device for protecting an optical instrument of a satellite

A protection device for protecting an optical instrument configured to be mounted on a body of a satellite, said protection device comprising:

• a plurality of rigid panels having a folded-down position and a deployed position, said rigid panels configured to be held against the body of the satellite in the folded-down position, and forming a tube of polygonal section in the deployed position, the rigid panels in the deployed position arranged so as to protect the optical instrument, wherein a longitudinal axis of the tube is substantially parallel with a focal axis of the optical instrument, and wherein each face of the polygonal section consists of a subset of the plurality of rigid panels, the rigid panels being linked together by self-powered articulations.