A review and outlook of VIS/NIR image sensors for planetary exploration missions

Abstract

The subject of Planetary Exploration is to establish the origin and evolution of the planets, their moons, asteroids and comets in our Solar System. Techniques employed include remote sensing and in-situ investigations using instruments carried on spacecrafts, astronomical observations from the ground, theoretical modeling, and laboratory experiments. Major progress in our knowledge of the Solar System was achieved over the last decades by planetary exploration missions to all of our planets and to several smaller bodies of the Solar System. Nearly all planetary missions are equipped with remote sensing instruments based on VIS/NIR image sensors as part of their key-payload. They are used to observe, map and characterize planetary surfaces. Other applications use VIS/NIR image sensors to detect extrasolar -planets e.g. by their stellar transits. The talk will give an overview on some past (like Cassini-Huygens) and recent image sensor developments (e.g. JUICE-JANUS) for planetary space missions It will outline some results and our gained experience in application of these sensors.