The EnVisS fish-eye camera for the Comet Interceptor ESA mission: design and performance

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A4 Artikkeli konferenssijulkaisussa

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en

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International Conference on Space Optics, ICSO 2024, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering ; Volume 13699

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EnVisS (Entire Visible Sky) is a fish-eye camera designed to fly on the first European Space Agency Fast mission, i.e. Comet Interceptor. The Comet Interceptor spacecraft suite consists of a mother spacecraft (A) plus two probes (B1 and B2), and it is expected to be launched by the end of 2029. The mission aims to explore a long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time. The scientific goal of this mission is to study the composition, shape and morphology of both the nucleus and the surrounding coma of the target. Comet Interceptor will provide new insights into the formation and evolution of the Solar System in its early age [1]. The EnVisS camera will be placed on the B2 spinning probe designed to venture near the comet through a 20-hour fly-by. The task of the camera is to image, in push-frame mode, the whole comet coma in the visible spectrum (wavelength range 550-800 nm) and characterize the comet dust environment, including its polarimetric properties. This work will begin by presenting the scientific requirements for the instrument and the technical solutions adopted to meet them, providing an overall view of the design of the instrument and its sub-systems. A discussion will follow on the current status of the instrument development and on the test campaign performed on a laboratory breadboard of EnVisS, particularly focusing on the detector characterization.

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Publisher Copyright: © 2025 ESA and CNES.

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Deppo, V D, Senter, L, Corte, V D, Zuppella, P, Lara, L M, Castro, J M, Gutierrez, P J, Fiocco, L G, Alimenti, A, Tofani, B, Gabrieli, R, Impiccichè, G, Dami, M, Tommasi, L, Verzegnassi, F, Martinez-Navajas, I, Naletto, C, Chioetto, P, Cocola, L, Frassetto, F, Moualla, L, Jimenez, J, Mazuecos, A, Bertini, I, Fulle, M, Tubiana, C, Rotundi, A, Gomez, J C, Guirado, D, Moreno, F, Muñoz, O, Bagnulo, S, Jones, G & Praks, J 2025, The EnVisS fish-eye camera for the Comet Interceptor ESA mission: design and performance. in F Bernard, N Karafolas, P Kubik & K Minoglou (eds), International Conference on Space Optics, ICSO 2024., 136995Q, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 13699, SPIE, International Conference on Space Optics, Antibes Juan-les-Pins, France, 21/10/2024. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3071592