Intricate mission to de-ice a space telescope is go: Euclid's 'eye' is clear
(2024/03/26)
- Reference: 1711479607
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/03/26/euclid_space_telescope_deicing_declared/
- Source link:
Boffins at the European Space Agency (ESA) are very pleased with themselves following confirmation that the de-icing process they devised for Euclid's optics has "performed significantly better than hoped."
Launched in 2023, the optics of the Euclid spacecraft have suffered from [1]an accumulation of water ice . While the thickness of the ice was measured in nanometers, scientists could detect its impact through the drop in light observed from distant galaxies.
Due to the finely calibrated instruments onboard, simply heating up the spacecraft to get rid of the ice wasn't an option. Instead, engineers devised an approach in which each mirror would be heated in turn, and observations would be made to see what, if any, impact was made on light coming into the spacecraft.
[2]
The team wasn't even sure which of the mirrors was causing the problem but reckoned there was a good chance it was the first mirror they planned to heat.
[3]
[4]
Showing a flair for the dramatic, Micha Schmidt, Euclid Spacecraft Operations Manager, said, "It was midnight at ESOC mission control when we de-iced the first two mirrors in the procedure."
"We were very careful with our timings, ensuring we had constant contact between the spacecraft and our ground station in Malargüe, Argentina, so we could be ready to react in real time if there were any anomalies."
[5]
The team carefully heated the coldest mirror behind the main telescope optics – the prime suspect for the ice build-up – from -147°C to -113°C. " [6]It worked like a charm! " said Mischa Schirmer, calibration scientist for the Euclid Consortium, "Almost immediately, we were receiving 15 percent more light from the Universe. I was certain that we would see a considerable improvement, but not in such a spectacular way."
[7]Euclid space telescope needs de-icing
[8]Software patch fixes Euclid space telescope navigation bug
[9]After fears that Europe's space scope was toast, its first images look mighty fine
[10]Europe's Euclid telescope launches to figure out dark energy, the universe, and everything
Schirmer is one of the main designers of the de-icing plan.
The success also means that scientists now know exactly where the ice formed. Although more ice is expected to form over the coming months, the decontamination procedure can be folded into normal operations for the spacecraft.
Reiko Nakajima, VIS instrument scientist, said, "Euclid's 'eye' has been cleared, allowing it to clearly see faint light from distant galaxies, and more of them than would otherwise be possible without this operation." ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/20/euclid_space_telescope_deicing/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZgNThpyLxse7bUXo0Pb4lQAAAIQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[6] https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_s_sight_restored
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/20/euclid_space_telescope_deicing/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/11/euclid_software_patch/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/02/euclid_telescope_test_images/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/01/euclid_dark_energy_telescope_launch/
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Launched in 2023, the optics of the Euclid spacecraft have suffered from [1]an accumulation of water ice . While the thickness of the ice was measured in nanometers, scientists could detect its impact through the drop in light observed from distant galaxies.
Due to the finely calibrated instruments onboard, simply heating up the spacecraft to get rid of the ice wasn't an option. Instead, engineers devised an approach in which each mirror would be heated in turn, and observations would be made to see what, if any, impact was made on light coming into the spacecraft.
[2]
The team wasn't even sure which of the mirrors was causing the problem but reckoned there was a good chance it was the first mirror they planned to heat.
[3]
[4]
Showing a flair for the dramatic, Micha Schmidt, Euclid Spacecraft Operations Manager, said, "It was midnight at ESOC mission control when we de-iced the first two mirrors in the procedure."
"We were very careful with our timings, ensuring we had constant contact between the spacecraft and our ground station in Malargüe, Argentina, so we could be ready to react in real time if there were any anomalies."
[5]
The team carefully heated the coldest mirror behind the main telescope optics – the prime suspect for the ice build-up – from -147°C to -113°C. " [6]It worked like a charm! " said Mischa Schirmer, calibration scientist for the Euclid Consortium, "Almost immediately, we were receiving 15 percent more light from the Universe. I was certain that we would see a considerable improvement, but not in such a spectacular way."
[7]Euclid space telescope needs de-icing
[8]Software patch fixes Euclid space telescope navigation bug
[9]After fears that Europe's space scope was toast, its first images look mighty fine
[10]Europe's Euclid telescope launches to figure out dark energy, the universe, and everything
Schirmer is one of the main designers of the de-icing plan.
The success also means that scientists now know exactly where the ice formed. Although more ice is expected to form over the coming months, the decontamination procedure can be folded into normal operations for the spacecraft.
Reiko Nakajima, VIS instrument scientist, said, "Euclid's 'eye' has been cleared, allowing it to clearly see faint light from distant galaxies, and more of them than would otherwise be possible without this operation." ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/20/euclid_space_telescope_deicing/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZgNThpyLxse7bUXo0Pb4lQAAAIQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZgNThpyLxse7bUXo0Pb4lQAAAIQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZgNThpyLxse7bUXo0Pb4lQAAAIQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZgNThpyLxse7bUXo0Pb4lQAAAIQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_s_sight_restored
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/20/euclid_space_telescope_deicing/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/11/euclid_software_patch/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/02/euclid_telescope_test_images/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/01/euclid_dark_energy_telescope_launch/
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Job well done
STOP_FORTH
Yes I saw an article elsewhere where the figure was considerably higher, something like -5C or -10C.
Maybe some weird Fahrenheit, Celsius, Kelvin shenanigans?
They should have just used some of those dessicant sacks you used to get with cameras in the 80s.
Plus something to get rid of the Japanese camera mites.
Edit: It was the previous article here on The Reg. -3C
Re: Job well done
Roland6
> Edit: It was the previous article here on The Reg. -3C
Which agrees with the temperatures in the linked ESA release.
Re: Job well done
I am David Jones
Eh? The “it worked like a charm” ESA link states warming by 34 deg to -113C which is consistent with their graph too.
Re: Job well done
STOP_FORTH
OK, so first article was wrong.
Still seems a bit cool though!
Re: Job well done
I am David Jones
Cool indeed. Definitely “extra jumper” territory :)
Re: Job well done
Dante Alighieri
boiling off into a vacuum?
ESA Article suggested you need to move it somewhere else to then disappear into space
And the ESA article said if we did the initial thing it would be up to -3 in places for the craft, which would be no good - so they did something different.
Spherical Cow
I'm impressed the hardware for heating up individual bits is in place. Someone was really thinking ahead when they designed it.
Job well done
But I was very surprised that you can evaporate ice at -113C, even in a vacuum.