Update On ESA's Jovian Technology Reference Studies
- Paper number
IAC-07-A3.I.A.26
- Author
Mr. Alessandro Atzei, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Dr. Peter Falkner, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mr. Arno Wielders, Space Horizon, The Netherlands
- Year
2007
- Abstract
In the past four years, ESA’s Scientific Payload and Advanced Concepts Office (SCI-A) has performed a variety of Technology Reference Studies (TRS) to better understand the requirements for minimum resource exploration of the Solar System.
One of the topics of the TRS concerned the Jovian studies: in this context three main scenarios have been addressed to identify the critical technologies needed to explore the Jovian system by studying reference study scenarios. These main themes are:
- The Jovian Minisat Explorer (JME), which focussed on the exploration of Europa
- The Jovian Entry Probe (JEP), which focussed on the in-situ exploration of the Jovian Atmosphere
- The Jovian System Explorer (JSE), a study focussing on the exploration on the Jovian Magnetosphere as well as implications for the release of the Entry Probe
These TRS included extensive mission analysis, system analysis and design, identification of critical areas and roadmaps, the development of simulation tools, etc.
These studies have now been completed and technology development activities for key technologies have been initiated. Amongst others these include: radiation behaviour of Low Intensity Low Temperature GaAs triple junction cells, radiation environment models of the Jovian System; identification of the most effective shielding materials and structures, deployment of complex radar antennas, etc. Other activities include the analysis of the electronics and materials on board of Jovian spacecraft to understand which new developments are needed to withstand the Jovian environment, as well as the study of fundamentals of the hydrogen chemistry during hypersonic entry in the Jovian atmosphere.
This paper intends to provide an overview of the main activities of the above mentioned Jovian activities.
- Abstract document