Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS) in BepiColombo mission: environmental tests

Paper number

IAC-11,A3,5,14,x10479

Author

Ms. Miriam Pajas, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mr. Jose A. Viceira, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mrs. Ana Balado, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mrs. Mª Ángeles Alcacera, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mr. MIGUEL MAS, INTA - Centro de Astrobiologia, Spain

Coauthor

Mr. J. EDUARDO HERNANDEZ, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain

Coauthor

Mr. JOSE A. RODRIGUEZ, Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Spain

Year

2011

Abstract

The {\bf M}ercury {\bf I}maging {\bf X}-ray {\bf S}pectrometer ({\bf MIXS}) onboard ESA's mission BepiColombo to Mercury will measure X-rays emitted from the surface and the magnetosphere. 

BepiColombo will journey to Mercury during a 6 years long cruise, gravitationally assisted by the Earth, Venus and Mercury itself. It will enter in orbit around Mercury in 2020, starting an observational programme planned for at least 2 years, with 2 dedicated spacecraft: 

- {\bf M}ercury {\bf P}lanetary {\bf O}rbiter (MPO), built by ESA, 

- {\bf M}ercury {\bf M}agnetospheric {\bf O}rbiter (MMO), provided by JAXA in collaboration with ESA.


One of the main instruments of the BepiColombo mission will be MIXS, with its complementary instrument "Solar Intensity X-ray and particle Spectrometer" (SIXS). MIXS+SIXS will allow to map the chemical composition of the Mercury surface with a large spatial resolution (few tens of km), by observing the Xray photons generated by the surface materials by fluorescence induced by the incident solar X-rays and particles.

MIXS is being developed by a European Consortium led by University of Leicester (UL). {\bf INTA-CAB} is responsible for the Spanish contribution to MIXS. The Spanish team has assumed very significant responsibilities within the consortium.
University of Helsinki (UH) and Max-Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) are the other partners of the MIXS consortium. 

The INTA facilities are being used to perform the complete qualification of MIXS at instrument level. The qualification will be very critical, due to the harsh environment around Mercury, the lack of redundancy and the long cruise phase (6 years) required to arrive to the final orbit around Mercury. 
The testing activities at INTA are performed following the requirements indicated in the ESA EID-A, and include:

 - Mechanical vibration

 - Thermal vacuum cycling

 - Electromagnetic Compatibility


Functional tests of the FM and FS models will be performed before, during and after each of the tests, by using a radioactive source illuminating the detectors.

Abstract document

IAC-11,A3,5,14,x10479.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

(absent)