P13E-04
The Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) Investigation

Monday, 14 December 2015: 14:09
3002 (Moscone West)
Diana L Blaney1, Charles Hibbitts2, Roger Nelson Clark3, James B Dalton III4, Ashley Gerard Davies4, Robert O Green5, Matthew M Hedman6, Yves Langevin7, Jonathan I Lunine8, Thomas B McCord9, Scott L Murchie10, Chris Paranicas10, Frank P Seelos IV11, Jason M Soderblom12, Morgan L Cable4 and MISE Team, (1)NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Ca, United States, (2)JHU-APL, Laurel, MD, United States, (3)Planetary Science Institute Tucson, Tucson, AZ, United States, (4)Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States, (5)NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States, (6)University of Idaho, Physics, Moscow, ID, United States, (7)CNRS, Paris Cedex 16, France, (8)Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States, (9)Bear Fight Institute, Winthrop, WA, United States, (10)Applied Physics Laboratory Johns Hopkins, Laurel, MD, United States, (11)JHU APL, Laurel, MD, United States, (12)Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, MA, United States
Abstract:
The Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) investigation was selected by NASA to be part of the next Europa Mission in May 2015. The MISE instrument is designed to enable the identification and mapping of organics, salts, acid hydrates, water ice phases, altered silicates, and radiolytic compounds at global (≤ 10 km), regional (≤ 300 m), and local scales (~ 25 m). Mapping the composition of specific landforms is critical to understanding surface and subsurface geologic processes, including recent or current activity. High spatial resolution compositional mapping is also essential for detecting small outcrops of organics and salts. Distribution maps of astrobiologically relevant compounds and their geologic context can be used to assess whether Europa’s ocean is capable of supporting life. MISE could provide fundamental information on where future Europa landers would have the highest probability of detecting evidence of life.

The MISE instrument design is for a high-optical throughput pushbroom imaging spectrometer that could observe effectively throughout a flyby or in orbit around Europa. MISE would cover a spectral range from 0.8–5 μm at 10 nm/channel, with an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of 250 μrad/pixel and a swath width of 300 active pixels. The 0.8–2.5 μm region is essential for quantifying hydrates and bulk surface composition, while the 3–5 μm region is required for detecting low abundances of organics, most radiolytic products, and discriminating salts from acid hydrates. These longer wavelengths can also be used to measure thermal emissions from currently active regions. MISE is designed to operate within Europa’s challenging radiation environment and deal with both radiation noise and total integrated dose. The MISE design is the result of collaboration between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California Institute of Technology) and the Applied Physics Laboratory (John Hopkins’ University).

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