e2v Sensor Guided Juno to Jupiter, ON Semi Sensor Will Observe Jupiter Clouds

e2v’s image sensors have accurately guided NASA’s Juno spacecraft to reach its destination, Jupiter. e2v’s TH7890 512 x 512 17 micron pixel front illuminated area array image sensors for star-trackers were provided by e2v’s manufacturing centre in Grenoble. They have been used to determine the orientation of the spacecraft by measuring its position relative to stars. These optical devices were specifically designed to ensure very high pointing accuracy and stability over long periods and to survive the severe radiation surrounding the planet, as Juno flies closer to the gas giant than any other spacecraft ever before.

JunoCam will use a ON Semi's KAI-2020 CCD to provide the first color pictures of Jupiter’s cloud tops from orbit. The imaging capabilities of JunoCam will be impressive. The camera will capture data in four separate wavelength bands: blue (420–520 nm), green (500–600 nm), and red (600–800 nm) for reconstruction of a color image; plus a band from 880–900 nm to image a narrow absorption of methane centered at 889 nm. And the 3 km resolution available at closest approach (an order magnitude better than that available from the Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini probes) will enable viewing of small-scale structures in the atmosphere.