Automated Calibration System

The Venus Express spacecraft of ESA investigates the atmosphere and clouds of the Venus at an unparalleled resolution and precisity. The ASPERA-4 (Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms) studies the interactions between the atmoshere of Venus and the solar wind, determines the effect of plasma processes to the atmosphere, the global distribution of plasma nad neutral gas, the energetic neutral atoms, ions and electrons, and furthermore it analyses the environment close to Venus. The observations of Mars Express and Venus Express spacerafts at the same time would provide scientists data based on which the development of atmosphere of the two planet can be investigated. Each spacecraft carries its own ASPERA. Thus scientists can directly compare the two planets. Engineers at Wigner RCP IPNP developed an automated computer system for the calibration system of IRF (Kiruna, Sweden). This consists of a usual PC and three embedded processor galvanically isolated to avoid proliferation of high voltage in case of error(s). Scientists have completed the hardware- and software modifications on the calibration system in Kiruna neccessary for post calibration of the Venus Express’s ASPERA.

The Venus Express' ASPERA-4 Automatic Calibration System in the Calibration Lab
The Automatic Calibration System in the Calibration Lab

A Visit to the Mercury

Our engineers have finalized the electric model of power supply for the Plasma Ion Camera (PICAM) of ESAs BepiColombo mission. The mission was launched to Mercury in 2018. The PICAM is an ion mass spectrometer working as a full-sky camera of charged particles. It is used to study the sequence of processes by which the neutral particles coming from the surface eventually get ionized, and travel through the environment of Mercury. The PICAM results the energy- and angular distribution of low-energy ions on the planet.

A Distributed Computer System on ISS

The main objective of the Plasma Wave Complex (PWC, its Russian name is Obstanovka) system is investigating the dynamic processes in the magnetosphere and in the ionosphere, to which a wide range of electromagnetic phenomena accompany, from a steady, long term observing place on board of the International Space Station (ISS). (Plasma Wave Complex, PWC, archived page) The PWC Group is an international consortium comprising members from Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Hungary and Ukraine. The computer system of PWC developed by our engineers is a distributed intelligence system consisting of three processors having their own local network. This network construction has the advantage of increased data acquisition throghput and dependability and satisfies the special electrical isolation requirements between the sensors and the on-board electronics set on ISS and in outer space. The computer system developed by our group stores data acquired from the eleven sensors of the PWC.

The electronic blocks of PWCs computer system
The Russian module of ISS accommodating the PWC

The First Controlled Descent and Landing to the Surface of a Comet’s Nucleus

We took part in the development of the RPC (Rosetta Plasma Consortium) plasma physical instrument on board of the orbiter unit and in development of the on-board Command and Data Management Subsystem (CDMS) of the Philae lander unit of Rosetta mission. The mission was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) back in 2004, and its interplanetary journey took 10 years before its lander and – a year later – the spacecraft itself descended to the comet’s surface.

CDMS Engineering Model, its EGSE and the Philae’s instruments’ simulator in the test lab

Investigating the Plasma Environment of Saturn and the Titan

The objective of the Cassini mission was to investigate the Saturn, its moons, and their pretty complex plasma environment and the planet itself. One of the main objectives was studying the Titan moon, which in many aspects is unparalleled within our solar system. Our group and the scientists and engineers of Wigner RCP PNI involved in the Cassini mission have added new elements to our knowledge of magnetosphere of Saturn and its Titan moon. New knowledge elements were acquired also of instruments technical implementations of the long term space projects. We were involved in construction and implementation of the simulators of spacecraft’s onboard electrical environment (EGSEs) for the CAPS (CAPS – Cassini Plasma Spectrometer) and MAG (MAG) magnetometer instruments.

CAPS Instrument
The CAPS instrument of the CASSINI mission
Cassini űrszonda
The Cassini spacecraft