[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

SwRi Develops Miniaturized, Ultra-Lightweight Charged Particle Detector For Rosetta

Southwest Research Institute

SwRI develops miniaturized, ultra-lightweight charged particle detector for
space research

San Antonio, October 25, 1999 -- Scientists at Southwest Research
Institute (SwRI) announced today that they have successfully performed the
initial validation of the Ion and Electron Spectrometer (IES), developed for
the Rosetta comet orbiter mission of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The instrument was built with extreme miniaturization of its electronic
systems and was fabricated from magnesium to achieve a total mass of only
1,040 grams. Despite its small size, IES was shown in laboratory tests to
achieve a sensitivity comparable to that of instruments weighing five times
more.

"The miniaturization of these instruments adds up to a considerable savings
in cost, mass, volume, and power," says Dr. James L. Burch, vice president
of the SwRI Instrumentation and Space Research Division and IES principal
investigator. "We're pleased that the system worked flawlessly."

The engineering qualification model was operated under space environment
conditions with all measured parameters meeting or exceeding design
specifications, including its inherently high angle and energy resolution (5
degrees and 4 percent, respectively).

The instrument will simultaneously measure the flux of electrons and ions
surrounding Comet Wirtanen over an energy range extending from the lower
limits of detectability, near 1 electron volt, up to 22,000 electron volts.
It uses a novel, electrostatic scanning technique to view particles from
directions encompassing 70 percent of the celestial sphere. The instrument
will be delivered to ESA in early 2000. Development was sponsored by the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

During the mission, Rosetta will use remote-sensing instruments to map
and examine the surface of Comet Wirtanen. Other instruments, including
IES, will analyze the dust and gases that emanate from the surface as it is
warmed by the sun. The Rosetta mission will be one of the most thorough
investigations of a comet ever attempted.

With its low mass and a power input of less than 2 watts, the IES
instrument is suitable for a variety of interplanetary and Earth-orbiting
satellite missions requiring extreme limits on mass, volume, and power.
These include the upcoming NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory
(STEREO) and Pluto/Kuiper Belt missions, as well as microsatellite
missions that will dynamically image the Earth's magnetosphere.

For more information about the Ion and Electron Spectrometer, Dr. James L.
Burch at (210) 522-2526 or Maria Martinez, Communications Department,
Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas,
78228-0510, Phone (210) 522-3305, Fax (210) 522-3547.

Image of IES: http://www.swri.org/press/ies.jpg

----------
Archives located at:
http://www.meteoritecentral.com/list_best.html

For help, FAQ's and sub. info. visit:
http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing_list.html
----------