A Look Inside the Juno Mission to Jupiter12 Richard S. Grammier Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Drive, M/S 301-320 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-354-0596 [email protected] Abstract—Juno, the second mission within the New deep-space maneuvers approximately one year after launch, Frontiers Program, is a Jupiter polar orbiter mission perform an Earth-gravity assist approximately 26 months designed to return high-priority science data that spans after launch, and achieve Jupiter orbit insertion in 2016 after across multiple divisions within NASA’s Science Mission a five-year journey. Juno will investigate the gas giant for Directorate. Juno’s science objectives, coupled with the one year, operating a suite of eight instruments to meet its natural constraints of a cost-capped, PI-led mission and the scientific objectives. After completing one year of orbital harsh environment of Jupiter, have led to a very unique science, the spacecraft will de-orbit into Jupiter for the mission and spacecraft design. purpose of planetary protection. The mission and spacecraft design accommodates the required payload suite of instruments in a way that maximizes science data collection and return, maintains a simplified orbital operations approach, and meets the many challenges associated with operating a spin-stabilized, solar- powered spacecraft in Jupiter’s high radiation and magnetic environment. The project’s efforts during the preliminary design phase have resulted in an integrated design and operations approach that meets all science objectives, retains significant technical, schedule and cost margins, and has retired key risks and challenges. As a result, Juno has been authorized to proceed with the detailed design phase and work toward an August 2011 launch. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................1 2. HISTORY ...........................................................................2 3. PRIMARY SCIENCE OBJECTIVES .....................................2 4. INSTRUMENT PAYLOAD ...................................................3 5. FIELDS AND PARTICLES INSTRUMENTS ...........................3 6. SPACECRAFT OVERVIEW .................................................4 7. MISSION AND OPERATIONS DESIGN ................................4 7. SPACECRAFT DESIGN SOLUTIONS ...................................8 8. SOLAR ARRAYS ................................................................8 9. VAULT DESIGN .................................................................8 10. STELLAR REFERENCE UNIT (SRU) ...............................9 11. OTHER SPACECRAFT DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS ........9 12. CONCLUSION ................................................................10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................10 Figure 1 – The Juno Spacecraft in Orbit about Jupiter BIOGRAPHY ........................................................................10 This paper will describe the primary science objectives of the Juno mission and how these objectives have been translated into the instrument suite and mission and 1. INTRODUCTION spacecraft designs. This will include a discussion of key The Juno mission to Jupiter is expected to significantly requirements and how these requirements have been realized advance current theories of the Solar System’s origin and in the current design, as well as an examination of the evolution. Juno will launch in August 2011, perform two associated technical challenges and design solutions. 1 1978-1-4244-2622-5/09/$25.00 ©2009 IEEE. 2 IEEEAC paper #1582, Version 6, Updated December 16, 2008 1 A brief history on the mission will be provided, followed by b. Determine depths of cloud and atmospheric a description of Juno’s primary science objectives. Next, the features such as zones, belts, spots, and map scientific payload will be introduced with a brief description dynamical variations in ammonia and water. of each instrument and associated science objectives/requirements. A brief overview of the spacecraft c. Characterize microwave opacity of the polar will then be followed by a more detailed treatment of the atmosphere region. mission design that primarily focuses upon the orbital operations and how the design has evolved to satisfy key (3) Magnetic Field — Juno investigates the fine structure science and operational requirements. Finally, a more in- of Jupiter’s magnetic field, providing information on depth look at the spacecraft will be conducted to describe its internal structure and the nature of the dynamo. how its design has been influenced by the science and a. Map the magnetic field of Jupiter, globally, by mission requirements, as well as the associated technical direct measurement of the field at close-in radial challenges. distances. b. Determine the magnetic spectrum of the field, 2. HISTORY providing information on the dynamo core radius. Juno was selected in May 2005 as the second mission in the c. Investigate secular variations (long-term time New Frontiers Program within NASA’s Science Mission variability) of the magnetic field. Directorate (SMD). Juno was originally scheduled for a 2009 launch opportunity, but was subsequently slipped to a (4) Gravity Field — Gravity sounding by Juno explores 2010 launch and, ultimately, a 2011 launch (within the first the distribution of mass inside the planet. year following selection) due to factors not specifically related to Juno itself. This resulted in an extended Phase B a. Determine the gravity field to provide constraints period (almost three years). The extended Phase B allowed on the mass of the core. the project to dedicate much more effort to requirements and preliminary design maturation, as well as to focus on key b. Determine the gravity field to detect the centrifugal risk-reduction activities. As a result, Juno had a very response of the planet to its own differential successful Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and obtained rotation (winds) at depths of kilo-bars and greater. authorization from NASA Headquarters to proceed into Phase C effective September 1, 2008. c. Investigate the response to tides raised by the Jovian satellites. (5) Polar Magnetosphere — Juno explores Jupiter’s three- 3. PRIMARY SCIENCE OBJECTIVES dimensional polar magnetosphere and aurorae. The overall goal of the Juno Mission is to improve our understanding of the solar system by understanding the a. Investigate the primary auroral processes origin and evolution of Jupiter. The science objectives for responsible for particle acceleration. the Juno investigation are: b. Characterize the field-aligned currents that transfer (1) Atmospheric Composition — Juno investigates the angular momentum from Jupiter to its formation and origin of Jupiter’s atmosphere and the magnetosphere. potential migration of planets through the measurement c. Identify and characterize auroral radio and plasma of Jupiter’s global abundance of oxygen (water) and wave emissions associated with particle nitrogen (ammonia). acceleration. a. Measure the global O/H ratio (water abundance) in d. Characterize the nature, location and spatial scale Jupiter’s atmosphere. of auroral features. b. Measure the global N/H ratio (ammonia) in Jupiter’s atmosphere. (2) Atmospheric Structure — Juno investigates variations in Jupiter’s deep atmosphere related to meteorology, composition, temperature profiles, cloud opacity, and atmospheric dynamics. a. Determine microwave opacity as a function of latitude and altitude (pressure). 2 Table 1 – Instrument Mapping to Science Objectives Instrument Description Science Investigation Associated Objective Gravity Science X- & Ka-band uplink and downlink Interior Structure 4 Magnetometer (MAG) Vector fluxgates (FGM) Interior Structure & Magnetic 3 Dynamo Microwave Radiometer (MWR) 6 wavelengths (1.3-50 cm) Deep atm. sounding & 1, 2 composition Juno Energetic particle TOF vs. energy, ion & electron Auroral distributions, ion 5 Detector Instrument (JEDI) sensors composition Jovian Auroral Distributions Ion mass spec. & electron analyzers Auroral distributions, ion 5 Experiment (JADE) composition Waves 4-m. elec. dipole and search coil Radio & Plasma waves 5 Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) FUV spectral imager Spatial & temporal auroral 5 structure Juno Infra-Red Auroral Mapper IR imager and IR spectrometer Auroral structure, troposphere 2, 5 (JIRAM) structure, atmospheric sounding 4. INSTRUMENT PAYLOAD waves, and radio emissions) and charged particles (ions and electrons) and obtains ultraviolet images of the auroral To satisfy the science objectives described previously, Juno emissions to provide context for the in-situ observations. carries a complement of eight scientific instruments. Refer to Table 1 for a mapping of the scientific objectives to each The Jovian Auroral Distribution Experiment (JADE) instrument. instrument provided by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) measures the pitch angle and energy distributions of The Microwave Radiometer (MWR) is a Jet Propulsion electrons as well as the time variable, pitch angle, energy, Laboratory (JPL) delivered instrument that consists of six and composition distribution of ions over both polar regions. peripherally mounted antennas, radiometers, and JADE consists of three electron analyzers and one ion mass control/calibration electronics for six frequencies between spectrometer. 600 MHz and 22 GHz. The MWR is used for deep atmospheric sounding and composition. The Jupiter Energetic-particle Detector