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On-Ground Performance and Calibration of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter CaSSIS Imager

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Abstract

The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) seeks to investigate the biological or geological origin of trace gases found on Mars. The TGO carries a payload of four instruments in order to reach its scientific goals, including the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS). CaSSIS is a colour and stereo telescopic camera that will be capable of taking high-resolution images of the martian surface. Before shipment of the instrument for integration onto the TGO, a detailed calibration campaign was performed, and a number of calibration products were gathered and utilised as part of the in-flight calibration campaign. This paper presents the results of on-ground calibration measurements carried out in order to assess the pre-flight performance of CaSSIS. All indications are that CaSSIS will perform very well on arrival at Mars and will be successful in reaching its scientific objectives.

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Notes

  1. An ISO 5/Class 100 cleanroom has at most \(10^{5}~\mbox{particles}/\mbox{m}^{3}\) (Roberts 2016).

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank:

– the ExoMars project and, specifically, D. McCoy, A. Haldemann, and D. Goulty,

– the ExoMars project science team, J. Vago, O. Witasse, and H. Svedhem,

– the Swiss Space Office team, D. Neuenschwander, A. Werthmüller, and O. Botta,

– our colleagues at the Space Research and Planetology Division of the University of Bern,

and the following persons who supported the team at various times: S.H. Bailey, M. Coradini, R. Wiesendanger, E. Flamini, and personnel from the company, HPS. We also acknowledge support from the Swiss National Science Foundation via the NCCR PlanetS.

CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA’s PRODEX programme. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) (ASI-INAF agreement no. I/018/12/0), INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF Ltd. (Budapest), the University of Arizona (Lunar and Planetary Lab.) and NASA.

More information about the CaSSIS instrument, and the science and development teams, can be found at cassis.unibe.ch.

Author information

Author notes

  1. L. Gambicorti

    Present address: ATG Europe B.V. on behalf of ESA—European Space Agency, ESA—ESTEC/TEC—MMO, Keplerlaan 1, P.O. Box 299, 2200 AG, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    V. Roloff, A. Pommerol, L. Gambicorti, A. Servonet, N. Thomas, M. Brändli, M. Erismann, M. Gerber, M. Gruber, P. Gubler, R. Ziethe & C. Zimmermann

  2. NCCR PlanetS, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    V. Roloff, A. Pommerol & N. Thomas

  3. RUAG Space, Schaffhauserstrasse 580, 8052, Zürich, Switzerland

    A. Casciello, T. Hausner, M. Johnson, P. Lochmatter, E. Pelò, D. Vernani & T. Weigel

  4. INAF-Osservatorio Astronomicodi Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 35122, Padova, Italy

    G. Cremonese

  5. CNR-IFN Padova, Via Trasea 7, 35131, Padova, Italy

    V. Da Deppo

  6. Selex ES, Via A. Einstein 35, 50013, Campi Bisenzio, FI, Italy

    I. Ficai Veltroni

  7. SGF Technology Associates Co. Ltd., Pipiske u. 1-5/20, 1121, Budapest, Hungary

    B. Sodor, S. Szalai & G. Troznai

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  1. V. Roloff
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  2. A. Pommerol
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Roloff.

Additional information

ExoMars-16

Edited by Håkan Svedhem and Christopher T. Russell

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Roloff, V., Pommerol, A., Gambicorti, L. et al. On-Ground Performance and Calibration of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter CaSSIS Imager. Space Sci Rev 212, 1871–1896 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0404-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-017-0404-2

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