JunoCam
Encyclopedia
JunoCam is a visible-light camera/telescope for the Juno Jupiter Orbiter
, a NASA
space probe to the planet Jupiter
launched on 5 August 2011. It was built by Malin Space Science Systems
.
The camera is based on the Mars Science Laboratory
MARDI instrument, and is designed to operate for seven orbits around Jupiter because of the planet's comparatively intense radiation and magnetic field. Part of its mission will be to provide views of Jupiter's polar region and very low latitude cloud belts, and at Juno's intended orbit the camera is able to take images at up to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) per pixel resolution. The probe's planned orbit is highly elongated and takes it close to the poles (within 4300 km (~2,670 miles)), but then far beyond even Callisto
's orbit. This helps it avoid Jupiter's radiation belts which are damaging to spacecraft electronics and solar panels. The 'Juno Radiation Vault', with titanium
walls, will also aid in protecting and shielding Juno's electronics. For comparison, the Galileo probe to Jupiter, which was in an equatorial orbit, had to endure over 20 radiation anomalies, exceeding its design limit by at least a factor of three.
The telescope/camera has a field of view of 18 x 3.4 degrees with three color filters. The camera is run by the JunoCam Digital Electronics Assembly (JDEA) also made by MSSS. The camera (like the mission itself) is not designed to look at the moons of Jupiter. Even though it is small, at its closest approaches JunoCam could achieve 15 km/pixel resolution from 4300 km, while Hubble
has taken images of up to 114 km/pixel from 600 million km. The camera uses a Kodak image sensor, the KODAK KAI-2020, capable of color imaging at 1600 x 1200 pixels.
In 2005 the Italian Space Agency
(ASI) proposed an additional visible light instrument 'ItaCam', but instead they built a near-infrared camera/spectrometer, "Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper" (JIRAM) and a Ka-band transponder. ASI previously contributed a near-infrared instrument to the Cassini–Huygens Saturn probe.
Other cameras manufactured by Malin Space Science Systems:
Juno (spacecraft)
Juno is a NASA New Frontiers mission to the planet Jupiter. Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011. The spacecraft is to be placed in a polar orbit to study the planet's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere...
, a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
space probe to the planet Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
launched on 5 August 2011. It was built by Malin Space Science Systems
Malin Space Science Systems
Malin Space Science Systems is a San Diego, California company that designs, develops, and operates instruments to fly on unmanned spacecraft. MSSS is headed by chief scientist and CEO Michael C. Malin....
.
The camera is based on the Mars Science Laboratory
Mars Science Laboratory
The Mars Science Laboratory is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission with the aim to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars. The MSL was launched November 26, 2011, at 10:02 EST and is scheduled to land on Mars at Gale Crater between August 6 and 20, 2012...
MARDI instrument, and is designed to operate for seven orbits around Jupiter because of the planet's comparatively intense radiation and magnetic field. Part of its mission will be to provide views of Jupiter's polar region and very low latitude cloud belts, and at Juno's intended orbit the camera is able to take images at up to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) per pixel resolution. The probe's planned orbit is highly elongated and takes it close to the poles (within 4300 km (~2,670 miles)), but then far beyond even Callisto
Callisto (moon)
Callisto named after the Greek mythological figure of Callisto) is a moon of the planet Jupiter. It was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. It is the third-largest moon in the Solar System and the second largest in the Jovian system, after Ganymede. Callisto has about 99% the diameter of the...
's orbit. This helps it avoid Jupiter's radiation belts which are damaging to spacecraft electronics and solar panels. The 'Juno Radiation Vault', with titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
walls, will also aid in protecting and shielding Juno's electronics. For comparison, the Galileo probe to Jupiter, which was in an equatorial orbit, had to endure over 20 radiation anomalies, exceeding its design limit by at least a factor of three.
The telescope/camera has a field of view of 18 x 3.4 degrees with three color filters. The camera is run by the JunoCam Digital Electronics Assembly (JDEA) also made by MSSS. The camera (like the mission itself) is not designed to look at the moons of Jupiter. Even though it is small, at its closest approaches JunoCam could achieve 15 km/pixel resolution from 4300 km, while Hubble
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
has taken images of up to 114 km/pixel from 600 million km. The camera uses a Kodak image sensor, the KODAK KAI-2020, capable of color imaging at 1600 x 1200 pixels.
In 2005 the Italian Space Agency
Italian Space Agency
The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy...
(ASI) proposed an additional visible light instrument 'ItaCam', but instead they built a near-infrared camera/spectrometer, "Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper" (JIRAM) and a Ka-band transponder. ASI previously contributed a near-infrared instrument to the Cassini–Huygens Saturn probe.
See also
- Galileo (spacecraft), NASA space probe to Jupiter 1989-2003.
Other cameras manufactured by Malin Space Science Systems:
- Mars Color Imager for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft
- Context (CTX) Camera also for the MRO spacecraft
- Mars Orbiter CameraMars Orbiter CameraThe Mars Orbiter Camera or Mars Observer Camera was a scientific instrument on board the Mars Observer and Mars Global Surveyor spacecrafts...