The feasibility and first results of a near sensor digitalization of fluxgate signals (digital fluxgate magnetometer) are presented. Applying the usual magnetometer electronics we have substituted the analogue section by a digital processing unit (ow). The 2f , signal is digitized at its second harmonic and mean values are online phase-sensitively calculated. Based on this development we present a completely redesigned magnetometer experiment for applications on planetary surfaces. Sensor and electronics including serial interface have to be in one housing, its weight is less than 150 g and the number of electrical connections is limited to four (power lines + serial link). Applications for the digital magnetometer on Earth are also discussed.
JANUS (Jovis, Amorum ac Natorum Undique Scrutator) is the visible camera selected for the ESA JUICE mission to the Jupiter system. Resources constraints, S/C characteristics, mission design, environment and the great variability of observing conditions for several targets put stringent constraints on instrument architecture. In addition to the usual requirements for a planetary mission, the problem of mass and power consumption is particularly stringent due to the long-lasting cruising and operations at large distance from the Sun.JANUS design shall cope with a wide range of targets, from Jupiter atmosphere, to solid satellite surfaces, exosphere, rings, and lightning, all to be observed in several color and narrow-band filters. All targets shall be tracked during the mission and in some specific cases the DTM will be derived from stereo imaging. Mission design allows a quite long time range for observations in Jupiter system, with orbits around Jupiter and multiple fly-bys of satellites for 2.5 years, followed by about 6 months in orbit around Ganymede, at surface distances variable from 10 4 to few hundreds km.Our concept was based on a single optical channel, which was fine-tuned to cover all scientific objectives based on low to high-resolution imaging. A catoptric telescope with excellent optical quality is coupled with a rectangular detector, avoiding any scanning mechanism.In this paper the present JANUS design and its foreseen scientific capabilities are discussed.
The BepiColombo Laser Altimeter (BELA) is the first European laser altimeter constructed for interplanetary flight. BELA uses a 50 mJ pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at 10 Hz with a 20 cm aperture receiver to perform the ranging. The instrument also uses a digital approach for range detection and pulse analysis. The ranging accuracy is expected to be better than 2 metres and ∼20 cm in optimum conditions. With the given, only slightly elliptical, orbit, BELA should return a consistent data set for the most if not all of the planet. The instrument is required to function in an extreme environment with the thermal issues being particularly demanding. Novel solutions have been taken to resolve these issues. BELA is described in detail and its predicted performance outlined on the basis of pre-flight testing.
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