Exploring the solar system
To the Moon and beyond
Airbus Crisa’s participation in demanding missions to the Sun, Moon, Mars and other planets and out into deep space are helping answer such fundamental questions as how were the Earth and other planets formed…is there other life in the solar system…and what happened after the Big Bang?
The space probes that are unraveling these mysteries rely on mission-critical equipment and systems from Airbus Crisa for power management, monitoring and analysis, control electronics and processing.
JUICE in its rolling clean room
JUICE
Power system for planetary exploration
When the European-built Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) arrives at the solar system’s giant gas planet, the mission will rely on Airbus Crisa’s power subsystem – which is vital for the spacecraft’s operation.
Airbus Crisa’s expertise and technology are key in meeting the challenges to develop and build this power subsystem, as JUICE must withstand the high radiation levels and electromagnetic emissions around Jupiter.
JUICE operates on electrical power provided by the spacecraft’s solar panels, and Airbus Crisa mastered the digital control required for the converters that help provide the maximum energy from these solar panels.
The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA)
Curiosity and Perseverance rovers
Learning more about the Mars environment
Airbus Crisa is contributing to the understanding of Mars’ environment with its monitoring and analysis systems on the U.S. NASA Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, which have been exploring the red planet since 2012 and 2021, respectively.
The Airbus Crisa-built Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) on Curiosity has an important role in studying the planet’s environmental conditions and assessing its habitability by measuring ultraviolet radiation that reaches the surface.
On Perseverance, Airbus Crisa’s Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyser (MEDA) is a comprehensive meteorological station, with radiation and dust sensors that characterize the Martian dust distribution and properties. This information helps scientist understand ongoing weather patterns and contributes to the preparation of future plans for human and robotic missions to the planet.
Image credits: NASA/JPL- Caltech