The Ganymede laser altimeter (GALA): key objectives, instrument design, and performance

Hußmann, H.; Lingenauber, Kay; Kallenbach, R.; Enya, Keigo; Thomas, Nicolas; Lara, L. M.; Althaus, Christian; Araki, Hiroshi; Behnke, Thomas; Castro, José Marı́a Bermúdez de; Eisenmenger, Henri; Gerber, T.; Revilla, Miguel Herranz de la; Hüttig, Christian; Ishibashi, Ko; Jiménez-Ortega, Jaime; Kimura, Jun; Kobayashi, Masanori; Lötzke, Horst-Georg; Lichopoj, A.; Lüdicke, Fabian; Martinez-Navajas, I.; Michaelis, H.; Namiki, Noriyuki; Noda, Hirotomo; Oberst, J.; Oshigami, Shoko; García, Juan Pablo Rodríguez; Rodrigo, J.; Rösner, Kerstin; Stark, Alexander; Steinbrügge, Gregor; Thabaut, P.; Togno, Simone Del; Touhara, Kazuyuki; Villamil, Sebastian; Wendler, Belinda; Wickhusen, Kai; Willner, Konrad

doi:10.1007/s12567-019-00282-8

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Meanwhile, detailed analysis on how the simulated returned laser waveforms interact with MOLA measuring characteristics needs to be performed in the future. If the penetration theory is indeed behind those unexpected features observed at Olympia Undae, then this can also have implications for other laser altimeter missions, including those to the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, for example, the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA; Hussmann et al., 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio‐Temporal Level Variations of the Martian Seasonal North Polar Cap From Co‐Registration of MOLA Profiles

et al. 2022

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The seasonal deposition and sublimation of CO2 constitute a major element in Martian volatile cycles. We reprocess the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data and apply co‐registration procedures to obtain spatio‐temporal variations in levels of the Seasonal North Polar Cap (SNPC). The maximum level over the Residual North Polar Cap (RNPC) is 1.3 m, approximately half of that at the south pole (2.5 m). However, the maximum level in the dune fields at Olympia Undae can be up to 3.8 m. Furthermore, off‐season decreases up to 3 m during the northern winter at Olympia Undae are observed. These are likely due to metamorphism effects accentuated by the reduced snowfall at this period. Meanwhile, off‐season increases of up to 2 m during the northern spring are noted, the cause of which remains to be explored. The volume of the SNPC peaks at the end of northern winter and is estimated to be approximately 9.6 × 1012 m3, which is 2% more than that of the Seasonal South Polar Cap. The bulk density of the SNPC can go through phased decreases in accordance with phased accumulation at northern high‐latitudes. These findings can put important constraints on the Martian volatile cycling models.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio‐Temporal Level Variations of the Martian Seasonal North Polar Cap From Co‐Registration of MOLA Profiles

et al. 2022

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“…In fact, relevant experiments are already underway [423]. Two upcoming laser altimeters, including the BepiColombo laser altimeter (BELA) currently en route to Mercury [424] and the planned Ganymede laser altimeter (GALA) to the moon of Jupiter [425], are both strongly dedicated to measuring the tidal deformation and interior structure of the target bodies. These missions are capable of determining, with high fidelity, the size of Mercury's inner core and the thickness of the subsurface ocean within Ganymede, respectively.…”

Section: Scientific Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote Sensing and Data Analyses on Planetary Topography

2023

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Planetary mapping product established by topographic remote sensing is one of the most significant achievements of contemporary technology. Modern planetary remote sensing technology now measures the topography of familiar solid planets/satellites such as Mars and the Moon with sub-meter precision, and its applications extend to the Kuiper Belt of the Solar System. However, due to a lack of fundamental knowledge of planetary remote sensing technology, the general public and even the scientific community often misunderstand these astounding accomplishments. Because of this technical gap, the information that reaches the public is sometimes misleading and makes it difficult for the scientific community to effectively respond to and address this misinformation. Furthermore, the potential for incorrect interpretation of the scientific analysis might increase as planetary research itself increasingly relies on publicly accessible tools and data without a sufficient understanding of the underlying technology. This review intends to provide the research community and personnel involved in planetary geologic and geomorphic studies with the technical foundation of planetary topographic remote sensing. To achieve this, we reviewed the scientific results established over centuries for the topography of each planet/satellite in the Solar System and concisely presented their technical bases. To bridge the interdisciplinary gap in planetary science research, a special emphasis was placed on providing photogrammetric techniques, a key component of remote sensing of planetary topographic remote sensing.

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“…The GALA (Ganymede Laser Altimeter) is one of the scientific instruments of the ESA mission JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) with the goal of exploring the icy moons of Jupiter 14 . GALA is a laser altimeter that generates a surface profile and is based on an emitted laser pulse that is reflected on the surface of the investigated moon.…”

Section: Icso 2020 International Conference On Space Opticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Au coatings for spaced based reflectors

Schwinde

Shestaeva

Stempfhuber

et al. 2021

International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2020

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Gold shows a very high reflectivity in the IR range. In addition, Au (and protected Au) is more robust than Ag (and protected Ag). Therefore, Au based coatings are of high interest. Common techniques for the deposition of optical Au coatings are sputtering and evaporation. In this contribution, both techniques, sputtering and evaporation, as well as unprotected and protected Au will be considered. A comparison of reflectivity between sputtered and evaporated Au-layers shows a slightly higher reflectivity for evaporated Au.Beside reflectivity after coating, decrease of reflectivity due to interdiffusion at increased temperatures (250°C) between adhesion layer and the reflective Au-layer is considered. In case of space-based applications, interdiffusion in thin film coatings could be activated due to particles of lower energies. This phenomenon is not necessary tested by radiation tests, performed by applying particles of higher energy. By a sputterd TiOX adhesion layer underneath a protected Au-coating (protected by an Al2O3-Si3N4-laminate), resistance against interdiffusion, and the successful passing of radiation-, cleanability-and abrasion tests could be achieved. This high reflective coating (reflectivity of 98 % at 1064 nm) was applied to the different mirrors of the GALA-instrument.

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The Ganymede laser altimeter (GALA): key objectives, instrument design, and performance

Cited by 13 publications

References 29 publications

Spatio‐Temporal Level Variations of the Martian Seasonal North Polar Cap From Co‐Registration of MOLA Profiles

Spatio‐Temporal Level Variations of the Martian Seasonal North Polar Cap From Co‐Registration of MOLA Profiles

Remote Sensing and Data Analyses on Planetary Topography

Au coatings for spaced based reflectors

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