Teledyne's Detector Enables NASA's Europa Clipper MISE Instrument

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Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is pleased to announce its contribution to NASA's successful Europa Clipper launch, which took place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Aboard the Clipper, the Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) is one of nine science instruments designed to help scientists unravel Europa's geologic history and assess the potential habitability of its ocean. The MISE instrument features a Teledyne CHROMA-A focal plane array, customized to measure 421 channels with 10 nm spectral resolution across the short-to-mid-wave infrared range (beyond the visible spectrum observable to the human eye). This wavelength range was chosen for its ability to detect signatures of hydrates, water ice, and geologic activity. Teledyne sensors are often selected for use in imaging spectrometers because of their sensitivity and space survivability.

The MISE instrument was integrated at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL). Teledyne and JPL are now prototyping a fully digital focal plane array (FPA) for future spectrometers. This new 3072×512 pixel CHROMA-D focal plane array is slated for NASA's Surface Biology and Geology Earth Science mission, with a target launch date in 2028.