Europa Clipper Mission Update: Preliminary Design

with Selected Instruments

Todd Bayer, Molly Bittner, Brent Buffington, Jean- Karen Kirby, Nori Laslo
Francois Castet, Gregory Dubos, Maddalena Jackson, Johns Hopkins University
Gene Lee, Kari Lewis, Jason Kastner, Kathy Schimmels, Applied Physics Laboratory
Ron Morillo, Mana Salami, Oleg Sindiy, Brett Smith 11100 Johns Hopkins Road
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Laurel, MD 20723-6099
California Institute of Technology [email protected]
4800 Oak Grove Dr.
Pasadena, CA 91109
818-354-4605
[email protected]

Abstract—Europa, the fourth-largest moon of Jupiter, is believed This paper will describe the progress of the Europa Clipper
to be one of the best places in the solar system to look for Mission since January 2017, including maturation of the Flight
extant life beyond Earth. The 2011 Planetary Decadal Survey, System design, mission trajectories, requirements, and system
Vision and Voyages [1], states: “Because of this ocean’s potential analyses.
suitability for life, Europa is one of the most important targets
in all of planetary science.” Exploring Europa to investigate its
habitability is the goal of the proposed Europa Clipper mission.
This exploration is intimately tied to understanding the three TABLE OF C ONTENTS
“ingredients” for life: liquid water, chemistry, and energy. The
Europa Clipper mission will investigate these ingredients by 1. I NTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
comprehensively exploring Europa’s ice shell and liquid ocean
interface, surface geology and surface composition to glean 2. M ISSION OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
insight into the inner workings of this fascinating moon. In 3. FLIGHT SYSTEM OVERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
addition, a lander mission is seen as a possible future step, but 4. F UTURE W ORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
current data about the Jovian radiation environment and about
potential landing zones that are both scientifically interesting 5. S UMMARY AND C ONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
and safe for landing is insufficient. Therefore, an additional goal ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
of the mission is to characterize the radiation environment near R EFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Europa and locate and investigate scientifically compelling sites
for hazards to inform a potential future landed mission. B IOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Europa Clipper mission will send a Flight System, consist-

ing of a Spacecraft equipped with a payload of NASA-selected 1. I NTRODUCTION
scientific Instruments, to execute a large number of Europa
flybys while in Jupiter orbit. A key challenge of this mission Scientific motivation for studying the habitability of Europa
is that the Flight System must survive and operate in the intense remains unchanged from previous papers describing the mis-
Jovian radiation environment, which is especially harsh near sion, focusing on the likely existence of a saltwater ocean
Europa. The innovative design of this multiple-flyby tour is an beneath its icy shell and potential interaction of that ocean
enabling feature of the Europa Clipper mission: by minimizing with a rocky mantle beneath. Discussion of the scientific
the time spent in the radiation environment, the spacecraft
complexity and cost has been significantly reduced compared to motivation for in situ study of Europa was presented in [2];
previous mission concepts. Europa Clipper is planned to launch selected science investigations, design updates leading to
no earlier than 2022 on a NASA-supplied launch vehicle from the SRR/MDR, and the start of formulation of a potential
Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. companion lander mission were presented in [3] (since then,
The mission is formulated and implemented by a combined Jet the lander mission concept study has completed its Mission
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Applied Physics Laboratory Concept Review). At the start of Phase B, the project assigned
(APL) Project team. allocations of mass and power down to the subsystem and
instrument level. Detailed planning of Phase B was com-
In January 2017, the Europa Clipper mission passed its System pleted. An unconventional review cycle was adopted: a Flight
Requirements Review / Mission Definition Review (SRR/MDR), System PDR was held before the subsystem and Instrument
and NASA approved the mission for entry into Phase B (the Pre-
liminary Design phase) in February. The “Clipper” name was PDRs in order to more completely develop a system level
officially sanctioned by NASA. The Flight System Preliminary design.
Design Review (PDR) took place in October 2017 and will be fol-
lowed by Subsystem PDRs and will culminate with Project PDR The Flight System (FS) PDR in October 2017 was successful
in August 2018. Mass and power allocations have been made; a and kicked off the season of Subsystem and Instrument PDRs,
new tour trajectory has been designed and adopted, the sizing to culminate in the planned Project PDR in August 2018.
of key design elements has been determined (propulsion tanks, One wrinkle in the review architecture was that alignment
solar array, etc), and a down-selection to one launch vehicle by of project plan with expected funding profile revealed the
NASA is anticipated sometime this year. A decision to down- need for early design freezes in the propulsion and primary
select to the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) would enable
launch onto a direct-to-Jupiter trajectory, allowing significant structure areas. As a result, several subsystem/component
system simplifications. PDRs have already been conducted: Propulsion Subsystem,
Solar Array, Propulsion Module Electronics, and the Propul-
sion Module. In addition, a new trajectory was adopted
978-1-5386-2014-4/18/$31.00 ©2018 IEEE which refined and improved the science return. Finally, the
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 Figure 1. Instruments and Investigations

project is anticipating direction from NASA to design for Table 1. Payload Resource Allocations
only one launch vehicle: the SLS. Implications include: re-
ducing the set of launch environments to be designed for, and Resource Allocation
removing the need to design for the EVEEGA (Earth-Venus-
Earth-Earth Gravity Assist) trajectory and its challenging Mass 380 kg
requirements for thermal control in the hot inner solar system Survival Power 75 W
environment. Orbital Energy 39,700 Whrs
Flyby Energy 13,700 Whrs
2. M ISSION OVERVIEW Tour Data 4365 Gbits
Science Objectives
The science objectives are the principal drivers of the Europa ≥2 km x 4 km.
Clipper mission and remain fully consistent with planetary
science objectives defined by NASA. The science objectives, 4. Recent Activity: Search for and characterize any current
in order of priority, are: activity, notably plumes and thermal anomalies, in regions
that are globally distributed.
1. Ice Shell and Ocean: Characterize the ice shell and any
subsurface water, including their heterogeneity, ocean prop- Instrument Updates
erties and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange. Map the
vertical subsurface structure beneath ≥50 globally distributed As discussed in [3][4], NASA selected Europa Clipper’s ten2
landforms to ≥3-km depth to understand the distribution highly capable payload instruments in June of 2015, and
of subsurface water and processes of surface-ice-ocean ex- since then, work has been ongoing to finalize their designs
change. Constrain the average thickness of the ice shell, and to finalize the resource allocations they receive from the
and the average thickness and salinity of the ocean, each to Project. In the last year, allocations of mass and data to the
±50%. payload have been updated. The payload mass allocation
has increased to allow for Instruments to meet Instrument
2. Composition: Understand the habitability of Europa’s accommodation constraints and to adjust for additional cable
ocean through composition and chemistry. Create a compo- lengths due to better understanding of cable routing. The
sitional map at ≤10-km spatial scale, covering ≥70% of the payload data allocation for the Tour has been established
surface to identify the composition and distribution of surface after analysis of the observations necessary to meet science
materials. Characterize the composition of ≥50 globally requirements. Table 1 shows current resources allocated to
distributed landforms, at ≤300-m spatial scale to identify the payload.
non-ice surface constituents including any carbon-containing
compounds. Significant work has been conducted this year to trace the
performance of the Instruments and the Mission Plan to the
3. Geology: Understand the formation of surface features, ability of the Project to meet its Level 1 objectives (set by
including sites of recent or current activity and characterize NASA) and the consequent Level 2 science requirements
high-science-interest localities. Produce a controlled pho- [5]. Modeling these connections is enabling analysis of the
tomosaic map of ≥80% of the surface at ≤100-m spatial Mission’s robustness to different types of Instrument failures,
scale to map the global distribution and relationships of which in turn point to areas where additional redundancy
geologic landforms. Characterize the surface at ≤25 m spatial could be advantageous, and the project will assess as the
scale, and measure topography at ≤15-m vertical precision, analysis advances.
across ≥50 globally distributed landforms to identify their
morphology and diversity. Characterize the surface at ∼1- 2 There are ten instruments for nine science investigations; EIS’s two cameras
m scale to determine surface properties, for ≥40 sites each are counted as separate instruments.

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The following sections present brief overviews and updates
for the Europa Clipper Instruments; see [3] for full descrip-
tions. Figure 2 shows the instruments and their location on
the Spacecraft.

Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-

Surface (REASON)—REASON is a radar which will char-
acterize the distribution of shallow subsurface water and the
structure of Europa’s ice shell, search for an ice-ocean in-
terface, and correlate surface features, subsurface structures,
and geological processes. REASON uses two frequencies: a
60-MHz band with 10-MHz bandwidth for shallow sounding,
and a 9-MHz band with 1-MHz bandwidth for deep sounding.
Projected REASON performance capabilities include 10-m
vertical resolution depth sounding from 300 m to 4.5 km, and
100-m vertical resolution from 1 to 30 km. REASON uses Figure 2. Europa Clipper Instruments
EIS images to improve its performance by removing surface
features from its radar sounding measurements.
Updates: REASON’s VHF and UHF antennas’ exact position
on the solar arrays underwent several iterations in order to airglow port and 0.06◦ through its high spatial resolution port.
fully accommodate mechanical launch loads, interference This high-heritage Instrument is an integrated unit with co-
in the stowed configuration, and field-of-view (FOV) con- located electronics and sensor optics. The Instrument does
straints. The final configuration separates the VHF and UHF not contain a scan mirror, so the Spacecraft must provide the
mounting on the solar arrays from each other and adds launch maneuvering capability necessary to obtain complete spatial
locks for the VHF antennas. These changes will be described images of the moon.
further in the Instrument Accommodation Updates section.
Updates: Europa-UVS has changed the angle of its solar
Europa Imaging System (EIS)—EIS is a two-camera system port to prevent SUDA’s boresight from being exposed to the
consisting of a wide-angle camera (WAC) and a narrow-angle sun when the Spacecraft slews to perform solar occultation
camera (NAC). The WAC and the NAC are technically two measurements.
separate instruments which together form EIS. EIS will per-
form investigations of geologic structures and processes, cor- SUrface Dust Mass Analyzer (SUDA)—SUDA collects small
relate surface features with subsurface structure and possible particles from Europa’s atmosphere as the Spacecraft per-
water, study the ice shell thickness and ocean interface, and forms low altitude flybys, allowing analysis and characteriza-
identify scientifically-compelling landing sites. EIS will also tion of the matter ejected from the moon’s surface. SUDA can
produce digital terrain models that will be used to declutter capture up to 40 particles per second at closest approach. The
REASON data. EIS measurements consist of visible spectral Instrument measures not only the density and composition of
range imaging of Europa, including near-global coverage at particles, but also their velocity. The velocity measurement
50-m resolution or better for 95% of the surface. allows determination of their point of origin on the surface of
Europa, and thus a map of Europa’s surface composition can
The WAC FOV is 48◦ cross-track by 24◦ along-track, for be made [6]. SUDA has not made any significant changes to
a resolution of up to 11 m/pixel at 50-km altitude. It can its design since its description in [3].
operate in both mono or pushbroom stereo mode. The WAC
has 6 filters for color imaging. The higher-resolution NAC, Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE)—MISE
with its 2.3◦ by 1.2◦ field of view, is a 2-axis gimbaled acquires infrared image data enabling spectral analysis of the
instrument, with a 60◦ range of motion in each axis, enables composition of the surface of Europa, including the presence
more coverage of Europa without changing the orientation of of organic compounds, acid hydrates, salts, and other mate-
the Spacecraft. The NAC can also produce stereo imagery rials germane to assessing the habitability of the ocean on
with a resolution of 0.5 m/pixel at 50 km of altitude. Europa. MISE data will also enable the investigation of the
geologic history of Europa and characterization of currently-
Updates: EIS has updated its electronics, including its FPGA, active geologic processes. The resolution of the images de-
to better survive Europa’s harsh radiation environment. Color pends on the flyby altitude: greater than 25 m/pixel resolution
filters were also added to the NAC camera. The Instrument in close flybys, at 300-m/pixel resolution at higher altitudes,
structures have also been stiffened to handle the launch loads and at 10-km/pixel resolution for global-scale analysis.
and launch locks have been added to the NAC gimbal to
survive the launch vibration environment. MISE has a spectral range of from 800 to 5,000 nanometers
with a spectral resolution of 10 nm. It has a FOV of 4.3◦
Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS)— Europa- in cross-track, and from 0.75◦ to 4◦ (one pixel) in along-
UVS hunts for and uniquely characterizes plumes erupting track. It also has a ±30◦ along-track scan mirror. To
from Europa’s surface. Europa-UVS also investigates the maintain detectors at the necessary cryogenic temperatures,
composition and chemistry of Europa’s atmosphere and sur- the Instrument design includes a cryogenic radiator, which
face and studies the flow of energy and mass around the requires views of cold space.
moon and its environment. The Instrument is a sensitive
imaging spectrograph that can observe in a spectral range Updates: MISE has gone to a single cryocooler design from
of 55 nm to 210 nm and can achieve a spectral resolution a dual cryocooler design, which allowed the Instrument to
of < 0.6 nm full width at half maximum (FWHM) for a reduce its multiple radiators to a single one. The Instrument
point source and a spatial resolution of 0.16◦ through its has also updated its spacecraft mounting design to increase
its thermal isolation from the Spacecraft.
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Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS)— Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS)— PIMS
E-THEMIS will detect and characterize thermal anomalies will measure the density, flow and energy of ions and elec-
on the surface that may indicate recent active venting or trons encountered by the Spacecraft at is travels around
resurfacing on Europa. It will determine the regolith particle Jupiter and especially near Europa. This instrument works
size, block abundance, and sub-surface layering for land- in conjunction with ICEMAG and is key to determining
ing site assessment and surface process studies, and it will Europa’s ice shell thickness, ocean depth, and salinity by
also identify possible active plumes. The Europa Thermal correcting the magnetic induction signal for plasma currents
Imaging System (E-THEMIS) is a 3-band infrared imager around Europa, thereby enabling precise magnetic sounding
with variable line integration times to optimize the sensitivity of Europa’s subsurface ocean. PIMS has a magnetospheric
during the approach to Europa. The detector is an uncooled and an ionospheric mode. In the first, PIMS can detect
microbolometer array with 3 filters integrated in front of the electrons with energies in the range 10 eV – 2 keV, and ion
detector to define the three observational bands: 7-14μm, 14- energies in the range 20 eV – 7 keV. In ionospheric mode, it
28 μm, and 28-70 μm. The E-THEMIS imaged field of view can detect electrons and ions in the energy range 1 – 50 eV. It
is 5.7◦ cross-track and 4.3◦ along-track. has an energy resolution of 10% deltaE/E, and a sensitivity of
0.5 pA/cm2 – 105 pA/cm2 . PIMS is composed of two sensor
E-THEMIS will image the Europan surface at a resolution of heads, each hosting two Faraday cups, each with a 90-degree
5 x 22 m (including spacecraft motion) from 25-km altitude, FOV, measuring the velocity distribution function of ions and
with a precision of 0.2 K for 90 K surfaces and 0.1 K at 220 K, electrons. The Faraday cups measure the current produced
with an accuracy of 1-2.2 K from 220-90 K. The Instrument on metal collector plates by charged particles with sufficient
obtains images with up to 360 cross-track pixels with a 10.1- energy per charge (E/q) to pass through a modulated retarding
km wide image swath from 100 km. grid placed at variable high voltage.
Updates: E-THEMIS switched its sensor for compatibility Updates: PIMS has colocated its electronics and sensor
with the Europa radiation environment. The selected sensor heads, which reduced cable mass and increased Instru-
is larger than the initial sensor, causing a corresponding size ment reliability (the relocation is discussed further in the
increase in the sensor housing and a significant growth in Spacecraft-Payload Accommodation Updates section).
shielding.
Key Challenges and Trade Studies
MAss Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration / Europa
(MASPEX)— The MASPEX Instrument is a neutral mass- The key challenges facing Europa Clipper remain the intense
spectrometer that will determine the chemical composition radiation environment near Jupiter, Planetary Protection, the
of the Europa atmosphere and exosphere through multiple launch vehicle options, and the trajectory options. The
flybys at altitudes < 1,000 km, with particular focus on the approach to the radiation challenge outlined in the previous
distribution and density variations of major volatiles and key paper is still the baseline (the protective vault containing the
organic compounds. The Instrument contains a multi-bounce most radiation-sensitive electronics, the selection of compo-
time-of-flight (MBTOF) mass spectrometer with a closed nents with radiation survivability in mind, etc). There have
ion source, pulsers, a detector, and associated electronics. not been updates to the Planetary Protection strategy at the
MASPEX can classify particles with masses in the range time of this writing, although the project is investigating
2 – 1,000 Daltons with mass resolution (which varies with a number of approaches for complying with the Planetary
integration time) from about 7,000 to 24,000. Protection requirements.

Updates: MASPEX has reconfigured its cryocooler to be

closer to its cryotrap for a more efficient design, consequently
moving its radiator position as well.

Interior Characterization of Europa using Magnetometry

(ICEMAG)—ICEMAG is a four-sensor magnetometer com-
posed of 2 flux gate (FG) sensors and 2 scalar-vector he-
lium (SVH) sensors. The sensors are spaced along a 5-
m boom extending from the Spacecraft. ICEMAG will
measure the magnetic field near Europa, which is induced by
Europa’s movement through Jupiter’s strong magnetic field.
Measuring the induced field around Europa over multiple
frequencies constrains the measurement of the ocean and ice
shell thickness to ±2 km, and ocean conductivity to less than
±0.5 S/m. ICEMAG measures the magnetic field with an
accuracy better than 1.5 nT in all three axes. ICEMAG’s
data will be used to factor the induced magnetic field out
of the measurements taken by the PIMS Instrument (so that
PIMS can better correlate its measurements with plasma in
the Europa ionosphere).
Figure 3. Launch Vehicle Options for Europa Clipper:
Updates: ICEMAG has reordered and reoriented the four A) SLS Block 1B; B) SLS Block 1; C) Delta IV Heavy.
sensors on the boom to allow the FG sensors to take science
measurements in addition to calibrating out the Spacecraft’s Launch Vehicle Downselect—Europa Clipper will maintain
own magnetic signature. compatibility with two sets of launch vehicles (and thus
two interplanetary trajectories) until NASA selects a single
option. The launch vehicle options are shown in Figure 3.
The differences in the approaches to Jupiter (Earth-Jupiter
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Figure 4. Europa global-regional coverage build-up for the 17F12 V2 trajectory. Jupiter-center plots (i.e., petal plots)
are colored based on the sub-phase of the trajectory; Europa-centered trajectories are color contoured by altitude (see
legend).

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direct with the SLS, or EVEEGA with a non-SLS ELV) and at a time. The coverage is shown in Figure 4. Starting
the additional constraints that this places upon the Flight from an equatorial orbit around Jupiter, COTs are a series of
System were described in [3]. Updates to the Tour design Europa flybys that increase the Spacecraft’s Jupiter centered
(the design of the science-collection portion of the mission) inclination (cranking) up to the maximum inclination. If
are described in the following section. one continues to crank in the same direction, the inclination
will then start to decrease, until the Spacecraft’s orbit plane
Tour Design Update—The Europa Clipper mission is predi- has returned to an equatorial orbit. The result is a set of
cated on the developed capability to efficiently obtain global- longitudinally spaced groundtracks over one hemisphere of
regional coverage of Europa (i.e., data sets at the regional Europa. The groundtrack direction (north to south or south to
scale, distributed across Europa globally) via a complex north) can be manipulated by choosing to place the Europa
network of Europa flybys while in Jupiter orbit [7][8][9][10]. flybys for a given COT sequence at the Spacecraft orbits
These orbits are highly elliptical, designed to minimize the ascending or descending node with respect to Europa’s orbital
time the Spacecraft spends in the region of intense radiation plane.
Europa is continually immersed in. The key mission design
strategy is to dip in just low enough to skirt Europa’s orbit Global coverage of Europa is executed over two campaigns.
to collect a high volume of quality Europa data and then The first focuses on the anti-Jupiter hemisphere of Europa
quickly escape the most intense portions of the radiation utilizing two COT sequences, COT-1 and COT-2. COT-1 and
environment, thus enabling the vast majority of the orbit COT-2 consist of 13 low altitude Europa flybys that cover
available to downlink high volumes of Europa data without the illuminated anti-Jupiter hemisphere over a wide range of
significant radiation exposure. In addition, the time away latitudes, with a high number of groundtrack crossings below
from the harsh radiation environment (and the subsequent 1000 km, and two flybys over Thera and Thrace5 .
Europa flyby) provides margin to react to anomalies and
discoveries. These benefits are not available with previous Next, a series of non-resonant transfers, alternating between
Europa orbiter architectures. increasing and decreasing the orbit period, are used to rotate
the line-of-apsides counter-clockwise to produce alternating
The current reference science tour, 17F12 V2, has been near-repeat equatorial groundtracks that occur at different Eu-
updated from the 15F10 trajectory, reflecting the first sci- ropa true anomalies and longitudes in Europa’s orbit. These
ence tour designed for the NASA-selected payload (all pre- flybys are very useful for gravity science, provide illuminated
vious trajectories have been designed for the model pay- observations of Europa’s trailing hemisphere for all remote
load). Despite the updates, however, 17F12 V2 has very sensing instruments, and provide coverage of the leading and
similar attributes to previous Europa Clipper trajectories. The trailing hemisphere for the in-situ instruments.
17F12 V2 tour stems from a 2022 Earth-Jupiter direct inter-
planetary trajectory (like 15F10), consists of 46 Europa, 4 In order to image the sub-Jupiter hemisphere with favorable
Ganymede and 9 Callisto flybys over the course of 3.7 years, lighting conditions, the local solar time of closest approach
and has a total ionizing dose (TID) of 2.5 Mrad3 . The average needs to be moved to the opposite side of Jupiter. This
period of each Jovian orbit is 20 days, and the typical time would be achieved by a series of Europa and Callisto gravity
between Europa science flybys is 14.2 days. The 17F12 V2 assists (referred to as the switch-flip), which would place the
trajectory will be used for all sub-system and project PDRs. subsequent set of Europa flybys near 0–1:00 local solar time,
The science tour sub-phases can be seen graphically in Figure taking care to not place the Europa flybys in Jupiter’s shadow.
4 and are summarized below [11].
COT-3 and COT-4 would then be executed to cover the
On approach to Jupiter (whether via a Earth-Jupiter direct now illuminated sub-Jovian hemisphere over 12 low altitude
or EVEEGA interplanetary trajectory), a 300-km Ganymede Europa flybys covering a wide range of latitudes and a high
flyby (Ganymede-0, G0) would be utilized to reduce the number of groundtrack crossings below 1000 km. Finally, a
magnitude of the Jupiter Orbit Insertion (JOI) maneuver. fifth COT sequence (COT-5) would be used to cover the now
Approximately 14 hours after G0, JOI would occur at pe- dark anti-Jupiter hemisphere of Europa for E-THEMIS.
riapsis at a range of 11.1 RJ (i.e., in the less intense outer
regions of the radiation belts). The Spacecraft would then Scenarios and Mission Operations Approach Update
perform a periapsis raise maneuver near apoapsis of a 202- After a successful launch, separation from the launch vehicle,
day period capture orbit to counter solar gravity perturbations and connectivity established with the Deep Space Network
and target an outbound Ganymede flyby. Four Ganymede (DSN), the mission operations team will perform a checkout
flybys would then be used to reduce Spacecraft energy rel- of basic FS functionality and calibrate the systems as nec-
ative to Jupiter and orientate the Spacecraft’s orbit such that essary. Operations during the Cruise phase are focused on
the relative velocity and lighting conditions at Europa would maintaining Flight System health and safety, peppered with
be acceptable for the selected payload instruments to collect periodic calibration and maintenance activities.
sun-lit observations on the anti-Jupiter hemisphere of Europa.
This set of Ganymede flybys is referred to as the pump-down If the Delta IV Heavy (and thus the EVEEGA interplanetary
sequence. trajectory) is the selected Launch Vehicle, the Mission Oper-
ations team will coordinate and sequence any gravity-assist
Mapping Europa with near global coverage with multiple flyby activities as needed. During Inner Cruise (less than
flybys can be done with a series of orbit adjustments referred 2 AU from the Sun), the High-Gain Antenna (HGA) must
to as “crank-over-the-top (COT)” sequences [8]. COTs can be be pointed towards the sun to act as a sun shade, protecting
applied to systematically cover one hemisphere4 of Europa the Flight System from the significant heat loads imparted
3 Calculated using GIRE-2p model from G0 to last Europa flyby; Si behind
by the Sun in the inner solar system. Due to this need to
keep the HGA sun-pointed for thermal safety, it cannot be
100 mil Al; spherical shell.
4 Europa is tidally locked (i.e., the same Europa terrain always has the same
5 Two named regions on Europa’s surface. They are patches of darker reddish
orientation relative to Jupiter) so illuminated terrain is simply a function of
where Europa is in its orbit. terrain that do not match the surrounding icy plains.

6
 Figure 5. Phases of a Europa encounter

used to communicate with Earth until the Spacecraft passes follows a reusable template that enables the integrated set of
a distance of 2 AU, limiting the telecom operations to the science measurement requirements to be met over the course
Low-Gain Antenna (LGA) and fan beam antennas, which of the mission.
provide significantly lower data rates. The mission will make
use of summary telemetry during low-visibility periods such Due to downlink limitations and high science data volumes
as this one, which will enable the operations team to assess collected on each encounter, there are latencies of up to
the state of the Flight System in a timely manner without several weeks before all the data is returned to the ground
requiring more detailed full telemetry. This capability ensures from a given encounter, so carry over into the playback phases
observability of the Spacecraft, one of the key aspects of of subsequent encounters will occur. The operations teams
operability. will prioritize the data return to receive decisional data in
a timely manner early in the playback phase that is “fed
If SLS (and thus the Earth-Jupiter direct trajectory) is se- forward” to use in design of observation plans that require
lected, or once the FS leaves Inner Cruise, telemetry rates will optimization or information from a prior encounter.
significantly improve, and the Mission Operations team and
Science and Instrument teams will begin to prepare for the In addition to data downlink, three maneuvers are executed
tour phase of operations. The Jupiter Orbit Insertion (JOI) per playback phase to maintain and optimize the Flight
burn and associated Flight System activities are executed by System’s planned trajectory and the flyby altitude following
an on-board autonomous program with fault protection in the final approach maneuver 3 days prior to the flyby, the
place to ensure that the burn completes successfully, placing operations teams will have a short time (on the order of a day)
the Flight System into orbit around Jupiter. The mission to update related parameters in the sequence plans to adjust
operations team plans use the Ganymede flybys leading up for the latest timing and pointing for the flyby.
to the science tour as practice for orbital operations, allowing
the team to gain experience with a flyby of one of Jupiter’s Europa Clipper’s Unique Operability Approach—Operability
moons and characterize the behavior of the system in Jupiter’s is a feature of the end-to-end system (including flight and
environment. ground segments) that enables the ground segment (com-
prised of hardware, software, personnel, and procedures), to
The Europa Tour portion of the mission contains the science operate the space segment over the entire mission lifetime.
campaign, which consists of approximately 45 close flybys That operation should minimize resource use, while maxi-
of the moon, with many as low as 25 km above the sur- mizing the quality, quantity, availability, and timeliness of
face. Each encounter is divided into four subphases (shown mission products, without compromising Spacecraft safety.
graphically in Figure 5): the approach subphase, beginning Europa Clipper has pioneered an operability approach that
approximately two days prior to closest approach (C/A); the considers how decisions made early in the design phase
nadir subphase, when the Spacecraft is closest to Europa will impact mission operations; aims to make operations
and in a nadir-pointed attitude for science data collection; easy, intuitive, safe, and efficient; pursues designs with the
the departure subphase, extending from the end of the nadir human user in mind; and incorporates lessons learned from
subphase until about two days after closest approach; and a past missions and the operations community to decrease
playback subphase, where the data recorded during the flybys the inefficiency and impacts of repeating past mistakes. In
are transmitted to the ground. simplest terms, “operability” describes how easy a system is
to operate.
Almost all of the of the science data collection occurs in the
approach, nadir, and departure subphases, with the exception The project has defined nine “aspects of operability” which
of some in-situ data collection and occasional instrument attempt to describe characteristics of an operable system.
calibrations during the playback phase. The encounter plan Maximizing these aspects generally increases operability on

7
 Table 2. Aspects of Operability on Europa Clipper

Aspect Description
Observability / Visibility Provide situational awareness, health and status, trends and behaviors, status of consum-
ables
Commandability / Controllability Control and configure equipment, place Flight System in desired state, ensure availabil-
ity
Predictability Know, with some certainty, the outcome of the execution of planned events
Flexibility Get the same functionality by using different components and/or processes, work around
failures, get different functionality out of components by enabling or disabling features
Robustness Maintain performance under perturbations, margins, contain errors
Autonomy Manage nominal or contingency operations without ground intervention
Efficiency Perform task without wasting materials, time, or energy; focus on tasks that actually
require human attention
Testability Capability and ease with which the functions and interfaces can be verified and validated
Tractability Amount of “care and feeding” and attention needed from the operators

a mission, although some aspects counter each other: for project through engagement in the maturation of the Func-
example, a flexible system may not be robust, or a robust tional Description Documents (FDDs) and designs.
system that is simple may not be flexible. The goal is to
balance these aspects within the constraints of a mission and Reviews and Design Freezes
of the system being designed to the extent possible. These The Europa Clipper project has taken a traditional “V” ap-
aspects of operability are enumerated in Table 2.
proach (see Figure 6) to requirements: Project (L2) require-
Guided by the Europa Clipper Project Policy on Operability, ments were put under formal configuration control (“base-
the project makes every attempt to consider operability in lined”) first, before the responding Flight System (L3) re-
quirements. The FS L3s were then reviewed and baselined
all design decisions during the formulation and development in advance of the Instrument and Subsystem L4 require-
phases. This is realized by an Operability Working Group ments being put under formal change control. This require-
formed early on in the formulation phase, which ensures ments derivation and maturation process is followed by a set
that operations impacts and concerns are considered in the
of Instrument and Subsystem Preliminary Design Reviews
system design. The working group includes participants (PDRs). Those reviews lead to final L4s, and any necessary
from the Flight System, payload system, mission operations,
ground data systems, and end-to-end information systems. adjustments are rolled into the final L3s, and those in turn
result in final L2s. While this ideal approach is the basis for
Working group members participate in trade studies, formu-
late operability requirements (on Flight Systems and Mission requirements management on the project, in practice there
is a large amount of iterative work as the requirements are
Operations Systems), and assess requirements and design refined and negotiated at every level. In contrast to the more
change requests with operability impacts in mind. This work
traditional requirements approach, the project has adopted the
supports the driving Operability goal: to reduce risk, reduce somewhat novel (at least as compared to recent JPL projects)
required resources (e.g., personnel), maximize science return
automate repetitive or simple tasks, and make operations strategy of conducting the majority of FS reviews along a
V as well. FS PDR precedes the Instrument and Subsystem
team workload manageable for the size of the team.
PDRs, with the last review being Project PDR; this review is
the gate of entry into Phase C (Critical Design Phase). After
The mission operations team must respond to several of the
Europa Clipper Mission’s unique challenges, including but Phase C begins, the subsystems, modules, and Instruments
will hold their Critical Design Reviews (CDRs), followed by
not limited to: the high radiation environment in which the a combined FS and Project CDR.
Flight System must operate; the distance from Earth (result-
ing in a long round-trip light time delay when communicating
with the Flight System); and the management of critical Although the V review approach is simple in theory, schedule
and design challenges make it unrealistic to fully adhere to
shared technical resources such as the available solar energy the ideal process. As the structural core of the Spacecraft,
and available downlink bandwidth. Given these challenges,
application of operability principles early in the design of the PM must be delivered before any system integration
activities can take place. Because the propulsion subsystem
both the flight and ground systems will help to increase the is entirely contained within the PM, test and verification
visibility, commandability, and flexibility available to the of that subsystem is on the critical path to PM delivery,
mission operations team as it interacts with the Flight System
over the course of the mission. resulting in three exceptions to review “V” (these components
held and passed their PDRs before FS PDR): PM, in July
2017; Propulsion Subsystem in June 2017; and PME in
To date, approximately 113 operability-related requirements
have been baselined and flowed to the applicable parts of the May 2017. In support of the upcoming “PDR Season,”
Europa Clipper froze the baseline design in summer of 2017.
flight and ground systems. Europa Clipper has also developed To ensure presentation of a unified and coordinated design
approximately 24 complementary operability-related policies approach at the PDRs, the freeze activity included the review
which guide design decisions. As Flight System and Ground
System designs mature, the operability working group will of every Engineering Change Request (ECR) approved since
the previous freeze (at SRR/MDR) and decision of whether
continue to further infuse aspects of operability across the it should be included in the products for the various PDRs.

8
 Figure 6. Reviews and requirements maturity process

This is mainly required for the areas that require greater time phases between science collection events.
to perform their analysis (loads, thermal, thermal-mechanical
stability, etc.) and therefore it is not always possible to use The Flight System dry mass PDR estimate for the preliminary
the exact same configuration for each of the analyses. design is 2550 kg, which results in a total mass of 5000 kg
including 2450 kg of propellants. The total science payload
A project the size of Europa Clipper results in many PDRs: mass allocation is 380 kg, and the total Flight System mass
nine Instruments, nine subsystems, and several key deliv- allocation is 3240 kg, leaving 2860 kg for the Spacecraft.
erables that are not subsystems (such as the PME, Solar The propellant tanks are sized for 2750 kg to support the
Array, and the ICEMAG boom) results in more than 25 maximum Flight System total mass of 6001 kg, providing
formal reviews, 16 of which are expected to have occurred by margin for the dry mass to grow as the design matures. The
March 2018. (This number does not include the less formal 6-m tall Flight System [12] shown in Figure 7 has a dry
peer reviews that were performed in advance of the PDRs mass margin of over 20% and system power margin of over
themselves.) The resulting PDR Season is many months 20% compared to the Launch Vehicle and Power Subsystem
long, and the design and analysis continues maturing after the capabilities.
freeze (the baseline may be frozen, but the schedule cannot
accommodate a months-long work stop). When analyses Spacecraft Modules Overview
mature in advance of a particular PDR, they are included in The Spacecraft is divided into three modules: Avionics, RF,
the review and the delta is tracked as an “enhancement” to the and Propulsion. The first is a JPL deliverable and the latter
official PDR baseline. two are delivered by APL. Modules are not functional units;
they are artifacts which are divided along physical, imple-
mentation, or programmatic lines. This method of grouping
3. FLIGHT SYSTEM OVERVIEW facilitates a clearly defined set of delivery responsibilities.
Spacecraft Summary
Each subsystem has a presence within each module and is
The 3-axis-stabilized Europa Clipper Spacecraft provides a responsible for the performance of that subsystem within the
stable platform to accommodate the suite of Instruments de- module. This means that requirements flow-down, done via
scribed previously and provides acceptable pointing stability subsystems, also accounts for the allocation of requirements
and knowledge as the Clipper Spacecraft flies by Europa once to the modules.
during each Jupiter orbit. The Spacecraft design supports
a wide range of Instrument fields of view and Instrument Avionics Module (AM)— the AM consists of the radiation
types, and has situated the Instruments so that their individual vault, the nadir platform, and all the Instruments and elec-
constraints are met and do not conflict. The Spacecraft design tronics boxes attached to the vault or nadir platform, as
features a protective vault enclosure which houses most of the depicted in the inset of Figure 7. Other items included in
Spacecraft electronics and provides protection from the harsh the Avionics Module are the secondary structure, cabling,
radiation environment at Europa. The Spacecraft thermal and Heat Redistribution System (HRS). The Avionics Module
design makes use of a pumped fluid thermal loop to reclaim physically comes into being during system integration and
waste heat from the electronics in the vault and use it to test at JPL, scheduled to start in late 2020. Because the AM
maintain thermally sensitive components (such as propellant does not exist as a unified deliverable, there is no dedicated
tanks and lines) within their allowable temperatures while review; instead, existing subsystem reviews are conducted
subjected to the thermal environment of space. Large solar with the AM in mind.
arrays and batteries are used to power the Spacecraft and
Instrument components. The flyby mission concept relies Propulsion Module (PM)—Unlike the AM, this APL mod-
on battery-powered Instrument operations during the science- ule is delivered as an assembled item and consists of the
taking portion of each flyby, giving the batteries time to propulsion tanks, lines, engines, and solar array, along with
recharge during the approximately ten-day-long playback
9
 Figure 7. Europa Clipper Flight System and Avionics Module.

the required mechanical accommodation for those items. The single cryocooler and was removed from the nadir platform.
propulsion module also hosts much of the telecom hardware,
part of the PIMS Instrument, and the REASON antennas and While 2CH-SA relied on four solar panels per wing, in-
the matching networks that are mounted on the solar array. creasing FS power consumption eventually necessitated the
The Propulsion Module Electronics (PME) component pro- addition of a fifth solar panel on each wing to maintain a
vides most electrical services for the propulsion subsystem, required 30% power margin at the end-of-mission. This
the solar array gimbaling, in addition to all the Flight System became the basis for the new mechanical configuration called
deployments (ICEMAG boom, the Instrument covers, the “A4”, which also included the relocation of the reaction
REASON VHF locks and HF antennas, and the solar arrays wheels towards the bottom of the propulsion module in
themselves). Because the PM is delivered as a unit, it does response to CG requirements. Several challenges with this
have its own dedicated reviews. new configuration then needed resolution:

RF Module—The RF Module is also a deliverable assembly (1) The stray light keep-out-zones of some instruments were
and comprises the 3-m HGA for X and Ka-band communica- obstructed by the REASON antennas on the solar arrays. This
tion, an X-band antenna suite (with the MGA, three Fanbeam required the relocation of the REASON antennas.
antennas, and the two LGAs), redundant X/Ka radios, and
the required switches and TWTAs. Much of the hardware is (2) The original vault design (which exclusively placed elec-
hosted on one panel which is also the RF Module’s mounting tronics boxes on a single interior panel) reached its maximum
point to the PM. Like the PM, the RF Module also has expansion limits and began to impinge on the solar array
dedicated reviews. restraints. In response, the mechanical team updated the vault
design to allow mounting of electronics boxes to two vault
Preliminary Spacecraft Design Updates panels (the –Z (base) and +Z (top)), which provided a more
compact layout with improved self-shielding from radiation.
In 2015, several mechanical configurations were initially
considered to accommodate the selected Instruments, as de-
scribed in [3]. A Tiger Team was formed in January 2016 (3) Larger Spacecraft moments of inertia (primarily due to the
to address two remaining significant issues: first, accom- addition of the 5th solar array panel) required the use of larger
reaction wheels to meet the higher torque and momentum
modating the REASON radar antennas without impacting needs.
the performance of other Instruments; and second, providing
sufficient cooling to the MISE Instrument focal plane. This
All these issues were addressed in the new A5 configuration
activity culminated in May 2016 with the selection of the that was used as the baseline design for the Project SRR/MDR
configuration 2CH-SA as the approved baseline. In this con- held in January 2017, and further details regarding the A4 and
figuration, REASON VHF and HF antennas were separated
and both located on the solar array, with the REASON HF A5 mechanical configurations are provided in [13]. The next
subsections discuss several key mechanical design activities
antennas parallel to each other and forming an “H pattern” that were conducted after SRR and that led to the definition
with the solar array, and MISE changed to include only a

10
of new configurations beyond A5. leased in August 2017 (represented in Figures 8, 9, and the
inset in Figure 7), which became the mechanical baseline for
Propellant Tanks Resize— The A5 configuration propellant the Flight System PDR. In addition to the 4.5 panel solar
tanks were sized for the SLS Block 1 and could hold 2450 array design, A7 incorporated new vault layout refinements,
kg of propellant, which posed several issues. First, the Flight such as structure updates and a reexamination of the vault
System mass margin associated with this configuration was penetrations and cable management issues.
projected to be below the 20% required at Project PDR as
stated in JPL’s institutional Design Principles. Second, as the
project started assuming the use of SLS Block 1B, the A5
tanks were now undersized given the additional injected mass
capability of the revised launch vehicle configuration. Larger
tanks holding 2750 kg of propellant were proposed, and this
size matched a known COTS tank. The Propulsion Module
structure was then updated to accommodate the larger tanks.
This yielded a new projected Project PDR mass margin that
met the JPL Design Principle. This change also resulted in
updates to the PM secondary structures in order to maintain
FOVs for antennas, Spacecraft and Instrument sensors with
the larger diameter Spacecraft lower body.
Figure 8. Solar Array 4.5 Panel Baseline configuration
RF Module Relocation— In the A5 configuration, the RF (A7)
module was located inside of the Avionics Vault, but the
components were then moved to a single plate mounted to
the Propulsion Module, outside the Vault. The move accom-
modated the RF components closer to the HGA and allowed
for better optimization of radiation shielding for the telecom
electronics by placing them into a mini-vault. Overall, this
change improved the RF performance and enhanced modu-
larity and thus flexibility during Integration and Test, which
resulted in schedule savings. The reconfiguration, however,
did cause a total mass increase of about 13 kg.

LV Adapter Selection— The overall mass growth observed

between the A5 and A6 configurations meant that the launch
vehicle separation system assumed so far (D1666) was no
longer able to support the Flight System mass, especially
given the new location of its center of gravity after the
changes discussed previously. At the recommendation of
the mechanical team, the Project selected the Cassini Linear
Separation Assembly (LSA), which preserved the required Figure 9. Nadir platform layout in A7 configuration
greater-than-20% Flight System mass margin at Project PDR
without requiring additional design iterations before the Spacecraft-Payload Accommodation Updates
Propulsion Module freeze.
As referenced in the Instrument Updates section, most instru-
To verify that the configuration updates discussed previously ments have made changes to their designs since the previ-
do not violate mass allocations, the baseline subsystem mass ous paper. Instrument placement, primary axes and flight
values (as listed in the Mass Equipment List (MEL) and cap- direction have been refined to prevent FOV impingements,
tured in the Flight System Model [14]), augmented with the minimize cable length where possible, and maximize overall
proposed changes, are compared against the mass allocation effectiveness of the science payload. These changes, and
requirements. If any of the allocations are exceeded, rene- the corresponding changes on the Spacecraft required to
gotiation between the Spacecraft Manager and the Product accommodate the Instruments, are discussed here.
Delivery Managers is required, or the design changes are
reassessed. A number of payload accommodation challenges have been
resolved through collaboration between the Spacecraft sub-
Solar Array Challenge— The addition of a 5th solar panel systems, Flight System, Payload Engineering, and Instrument
on each wing with the A4 configuration (for a total of 90 teams. Across the entire payload, areas of focus have in-
m2 ) was later challenged by the engineering assessment that cluded the following: confirming and updating all Spacecraft-
the required Reaction Wheel Assembly torque margin (30%) Instrument electrical interfaces; baselining the required pay-
and momentum margin (50%) were barely met in the A6 load power services and Spacecraft-read Instrument temper-
configuration, and that the maximum supportable solar array ature sensors (critical both for management of Spacecraft
size had thus been reached. The project then conducted a key resources and for continuing progress in the detailed design
trade study to identify feasible options to reduce the Solar of instruments by the Instrument teams); and capturing the
Array mass and inertia, which ultimately led to the selection definitions of Instrument behaviors and expected Spacecraft
of a 41⁄2-panel wing design, with thicker coverglass than in responses through the development of Instrument control
A6, along with an option to accommodate an additional outer requirements and the capture of Instrument functionality and
1⁄ panel and cells on the yoke for contingency purposes.
2
behavior in Instrument FDDs. In addition to broad payload
accommodation topics that affect all instruments, updates
This option was later exercised in the A7 configuration re- have been made to the unique Spacecraft-Payload interfaces
of several instruments.
11
 Figure 10. REASON and PIMS

EIS—EIS has descoped their two inductosyns (gimbal posi- Future Accommodation Efforts—Future payload accommo-
tion encoders, one for each NAC gimbal) from their original dation efforts will include the following: refining the list
design, a mass savings of 1kg. Additionally, launch locks of intra-Instrument vault penetrations and looking for re-
were added to the EIS NAC gimbals to ensure the gimbals duction opportunities (by combining signals in appropriate
remain still during launch. With only a minimal mass in- connectors); trading the cable lengths required by the current
crease and no increase in complexity, this design change is Spacecraft configurations against potential signal degradation
especially important given the uncertainties in the dynamics associated with long cables; impact assessment of Spacecraft
environment during launch. loads on the Instruments; and definition of the Instrument
accessibility and ground support equipment required to per-
PIMS— The most significant modification has been the re- form Spacecraft integration and test. These accommodation
location of the PIMS electronics from inside the Spacecraft agreements will be captured in Mechanical Interface Control
vault to integration at the two PIMS sensor heads instead. Documents (MICDs) and Instrument-Spacecraft Interface
This move benefits both the Spacecraft and the Instrument: Control Documents (ICDs), which will mature from Prelim-
mass is removed from the crowded vault; fewer vault pen- inary to Baseline as the teams prepare for the Instrument
etrations to accommodate cabling are needed; and the two Preliminary Design Reviews throughout the first half of 2018.
sensor heads become entirely independent (which is benefi-
cial from a fault management and redundancy perspective). Fault Management
In addition to this change, new requirements on the Flight Design Approach— The Europa Clipper Flight System is
System have been identified to improve PIMS effectiveness.
single fault tolerant, meaning that no fault will result in the
These requirements, which limit the electric potential of the failure to achieve mission success, unless that fault happens to
Spacecraft during ionospheric and magnetospheric plasma
be one specifically exempted by the Project single point fail-
measurements, will be used to drive design iterations with ure (SPF) policy. Block redundancy is the primary approach
Spacecraft subsystems and will result in a refined Spacecraft
design that accommodates the required PIMS measurements. used to prevent SPFs, and robust design margins are applied
where redundancy is not feasible. Functional redundancy
Finally, following an initial impact assessment, adding a baf- in the payload suite ensures that science objectives can be
fle to each PIMS Faraday cup will be assessed in upcoming achieved even with the loss of an instrument.
PIMS design iterations.
Fault containment regions (FCRs) are used to partition the
REASON— A key area of payload accommodation efforts Flight System such that the functions necessary for mission
has been the interface between the REASON Instrument
and the solar array (on which REASON is mounted). The success are separated and preserved in the event of faults and
VHF and HF antennas were moved to the same side of the failures. FCRs are established for each functional subsystem
(and select hardware within each subsystem) to ensure that
solar array in order to reduce the complexity of the required the effects of a fault do not propagate and cause a loss of
launch restraints. However, this new configuration resulted
in significant stresses at the interfaces between REASON and functionality beyond the FCR. FCRs not only provide for
clean fault isolation but also result in the ability to tolerate
the solar array. The solution, identified through collaboration multiple failures in the Flight System – an approach necessary
between the REASON team, solar array team, and engi-
neering subsystems, was to adjust the VHF and HF antenna for the long duration mission and radiation environment at
spacing. As shown in Figure 10, each VHF antenna will Europa.
be centered on the edge of the solar array panel to which it The overall fault management design involves both flight and
is mounted, with a restraint below each antenna. The HF
antennas will be placed 0.3m outward from that center point. ground approaches to prevent faults from occurring (fault
prevention) and to mitigate the effects of a fault after it occurs
Any future changes to the solar array will be required to (fault tolerance). The mission operations team is responsible
maintain the same relative spacing of the REASON antennas. for enforcing flight rules to prevent unsafe activities as well
as performing trending analysis to take preventative actions

12
 Figure 11. Fault Management Design Process (Iterative)

if necessary. For faults where time-to-criticality precludes mode strategy is used to preserve consumables and maintain
ground intervention, autonomous fault management is imple- pointing and downlink performance when possible. For each
mented in onboard software to ensure Flight System safety. safing event, the control actuators (RWA vs. RCS) and target
With the exception of critical events that require autonomous attitudes (Earth vs. Sun) are enforced depending on the mis-
completion and faults with localized effects, the flight soft- sion phase and the severity of the fault. While in safe mode,
ware will monitor for unsafe conditions, execute corrective ground commands can be sent to increase downlink rates and
actions, and establish a safe state for further diagnosis and provide additional diagnostic data to operators. When it has
recovery by the ground. been determined that it is safe to return to nominal operations,
the ground will invoke pre-defined procedures to exit out of
Design Process—The Europa Clipper fault management de- safe mode.
sign is developed through an iterative process that involves
requirements, scenarios, analyses, and a V&V campaign Flyby Recovery—Due to the re-occurring nature of Europa
(shown in Figure 11). flyby science observations in the high radiation environment,
the Flight System is designed to be robust to radiation-
JPL institutional Design Principles and Flight Project Prac- induced transient faults. A transient fault is defined as a
tices are used to establish Project policies and fault man- fault that can be cleared without a power cycle of the af-
agement requirements on the initial Flight System design. fected component and once cleared, the equivalent functional
Critical events (Launch and JOI) and driving fault scenarios performance of the system can be recovered. In order to
(e.g., stressing power and thermal cases) provide the timing maximize science data collection, the Flight System will
details necessary to mature the design and specify the actual attempt to autonomously recover from the effects of transient
implementation. faults and resume science operations.

Both top-down and bottom-up fault identification approaches The driving fault case from a timeline perspective is a reset
are used to ensure a complete and systematic coverage of of the compute platform that executes the flight software.
failure space. Fault trees are a top-down analysis that map During the control outage, the reaction wheels will spin
faults to the functions that are necessary for mission success. down and the Spacecraft attitude will start to drift. Attitude
Failure Mode and Effects Criticality Analyses (FMECAs) are knowledge, however, is stored during the reset and used to
bottom-up analyses that evaluate the effects of each failure recover to the science attitude as quickly as possible. An
mode on the system. The results of the fault tree and FMECA activity restart timeline (ART) is uploaded prior to each
analysis will be populated in a fault mitigation matrix that flyby and used to establish Spacecraft and Instrument states
formally captures the detection and mitigation of every fault and resume or restart command sequences at specified times
in the Europa Clipper Flight System. in order to facilitate recovery from transient interruptions
without ground in the loop.
Details of the fault management design architecture, effec-
tiveness of the design itself, and the V&V approach will be In the event that the Flight System health is in jeopardy, or
described in a future version of this paper. multiple attempts to recover the flyby have failed, the flyby
will be aborted and a safing response will occur.
Safing Response—In the event of a fault that threatens health
and safety, the safing response will autonomously configure Motion and Pointing
the Flight System into a power-positive, thermally safe, and
The primary driving pointing requirements have been con-
command-capable state. Additionally, the Flight System will stant over the past year with a few exceptions. Pointing
continuously downlink its current state to the Earth for mis- control of 0.7 mrad is required for UVS for measurements
sion operators to evaluate and respond. A comprehensive safe
of Europa exosphere during stellar occultations. Pointing sta-

13
bility of 15 rad 3-sigma, over 10-100ms exposures, is driven at the end of the mission. The ABIS is also connected to the
by the EIS NAC needs. Reconstructed pointing knowledge of three Moli ICR-M (Li-Ion) batteries, which provide a 339 Ah
0.9 mrad is driven by UVS. EOM capacity.

One new driver that has been identified is the sun-sensor- The PCDA also contains a Power Bus Controller (PBC)
based attitude knowledge for safe-mode communications. and six Power Switch Slices (PSSs). The PBC is a single
Although the top-level requirements were stable, significant slice and contains internal redundancy, with three FCRs each
work has been done on analysis of the error budgeting with holding a FPGA and power converters. This PBC design with
refinements in the design and implementation of those re- three internal FCRs is new. Previously, there were two PBC
quirements. slices, each in their own FCR. This new PBC design miti-
gates potential faults and allows for a more efficient power
To address the stringent pointing stability requirement, efforts electronics architecture. The bus voltage regulation involves
were focused on two main areas: refining the pointing model, voting from the PBCs. In the previous architecture, the failure
and improving the performance. High frequency disturbances of one PBC control signal could result in increased battery
from cryocoolers, the thermal pump, and reaction wheels capacity fade. Additionally, undervoltage (UV) detection
dominate the stability capability over the short exposure involves voting. A failure in one UV detection circuit in the
times. Understanding the effect of these disturbances re- previous architecture could lead to an indeterminate scenario
quired more refined modeling that could assess transmission during UV situations. The PBC performs the majority of the
of high frequencies above 100 Hz. Additionally, recent char- Power Subsystem’s logic, such as bus voltage regulation and
acterization tests of flight-like units of the cryocoolers and the battery charge control. The PSSs provide switched services
thermal pump have helped improve the disturbance inputs to to various loads on the Spacecraft.
the model. Pointing stability requirement are not expected to
be met solely by better model fidelity, therefore,requirements Due to the distributed nature of the Europa Clipper Space-
have been levied on the sources to reduce the disturbance craft, the PSSs do not provide services to all Spacecraft loads.
imparted to the Spacecraft. Investigations to reduce the The block redundant PMEs service the propulsion loads in the
disturbances are ongoing. Assessment of these requirements Propulsion Module and deployments. The PMEs also contain
will continue to be a challenge but multiple system level FPGAs to perform necessary logic to power and protect their
mitigations and trades are being worked to help achieve these loads, such as overcurrent protection.
tight requirements.
Two key aspects of the power architecture have been impor-
A second area that changes as the design matures is that of tant drivers in the design of the entire Spacecraft system:
reconstructed knowledge. The long mission life and required an unregulated bus, and the distributed power subsystem
reliability have led to the addition of a Hemispherical Res- hardware. With the use of Solar Arrays and batteries, the
onator Gyroscopes (HRGs) for inertial rate measurements. power bus voltage is not constant, and is directly proportional
This has the added benefit of very high accuracy, which to battery state of charge (SOC). Loads on the Spacecraft,
will help in meeting the reconstructed knowledge require- therefore, must be able to handle voltage ranges that the bus
ments during science observations that occur during long star will provide. The distributed architecture, with the PCDA
tracker obscurations. In this area, a refined science analysis being separated from the PMEs, creates additional voltage
also allowed the ICEMAG team to relax the reconstructed considerations in the system. Because of their separation, the
attitude knowledge requirements of their sensors. This re- voltage drops between the two must be involved in the voltage
laxation and a much more accurate boom deployment system drop analysis. The loads in the Propulsion Module have to
have removed the need of a dedicated attitude sensor on the operate and survive at lower voltages than other loads that are
ICEMAG boom for calibrations. connected to the PCDA.

Another large system level trade was determining if coarse Avionics and Data
sun-sensors would provide sufficient accuracy for telecom Hardware Context—The Spacecraft Command and Data Han-
pointing in safe-mode. Given that the current sun-sensor dling (C&DH) subsystem consists of two redundant strings
configuration does not have full sky coverage, an additional (a prime and a backup), where each string will consist of
complexity of the trade space was ensuring the sun-search two core components, a Europa Compute Element (ECE)
duration was within requirements. Mass and power concerns and a Remote Engineering Unit (REU). While the ECE will
of other options led to refined analysis of the scenarios in provide a radiation hardened RAD750 main flight computer,
which the coarse sun-sensors needed to perform. A slightly the FPGA-based REU will be used for collecting and digitiz-
relaxed requirement and more precisely defined operational ing Spacecraft Engineering Telemetry. Each ECE and REU
scenarios led to the decision that the current hardware will be will come with associated input/output cards and mass non-
sufficient for both accuracy and timeline. volatile memory to meet the Flight System data interface and
storage needs.
Electrical Power and Energy
Electrical power and energy is generated, stored and dis- On-board, the Europa Clipper Spacecraft Intercommunica-
tributed on the Spacecraft by the following components: tions Network will support a set of point-to-point high-
solar arrays, batteries, the Power Control and Distribution speed data interfaces (SpaceWire, up to 200 Mbps capability)
Assembly (PCDA), and redundant (A and B) PMEs. The to select Spacecraft Engineering Subsystems and Payload
Solar Array area has settled to 86 m2 , and this area, along Instruments. An additional set of Universal Asynchronous
with the efficiency, packing factor and other qualities, yield Receiver-Transmitter (UART) (up to 115 kbps capability)
an end of mission (EOM) production capability of 640W. The and RS-422 interfaces will be employed for low-rate Payload
PCDA includes the Array and Battery Interface Slice (ABIS), Instrument and Spacecraft Subsystem needs. A shared 1553
which includes buck converters to control the load drawn bus, a set of point-to-point Remote Serial Bus (RSB) and
from the Solar Arrays. With this, the end of mission capacity Low-Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) interfaces will
of 640W translates to 576W available to the Spacecraft bus also be used to provide robust interface connections among

14
Figure 12. The HRS distributes heat dissipated by electronics in the vault to other parts of the spacecraft, reducing the
overall power consumption of the Flight System.

a distributed set of engineering devices. Of note: a set updates to provide maximum flexibility for onboard soft-
of supplementary FS interfaces will be installed to support ware revisions. Additionally, the FSW architecture allows
Ground-based testing (e.g., GSE), and on-pad and launch for autonomous inter-string communications, and state and
operations. parameter updates to enable, when necessary, quick transition
from prime to the backup string.
Compared to historical deep space missions, the Europa Clip-
per mission will carry significantly more non-volatile data Software and System Functionality and Behavior—The ECE
storage capability to meet its unique science and engineering FSW, running on the RAD750, is responsible for Spacecraft
data storage needs. Each ECE will have a redundant Bulk functions necessary for onboard monitoring and execution of
Data Storage (BDS) device designed to hold at least 512 FS activities, as well as onboard receipt, storage, manage-
Gibibits of Payload Data (volume required through the end ment, collection, processing, and distribution of data.
of mission; that is, after accounting for memory degradation
due to radiation and other environmental factors over the It is expected that FSW will provide onboard commanding,
expected life of the mission). Moreover, each ECE will also autonomous sequencing (control programs execution), and
hold another 128 Gibibits of non-volatile memory for Flight onboard monitoring and estimation. The FSW is expected
System engineering use (FS Engineering telemetry storage, to provide: robust data collection, storage, and manage-
event and activity logs, and configuration and parameter ment (e.g., data integrity, compression); intercommunication
tables, for example). There are several drivers for needing network management; time management and distribution;
the rather large non-volatile memory volumes: a) the Flight thermal monitoring and control; and execution of guidance
System design is expected to carry 50% data storage margins, and control algorithms. The FSW will also contain monitor
b) during each Europa encounter, the FS may collect and store and response functionality necessary to implement a signif-
on the order of 100 Gibibits of Payload science, calibration, icant part of Fault Management for the FS. Moreover, it
housekeeping data, c) the Flight System is being designed will provide uplink and downlink processing services geared
to collect a rich set of engineering telemetry for downlink at handling the processing of commands and files sent by
for Ground-based monitoring and trending, and lastly, d) the Ground and managing the downlink of real-time and
following data collection, the scheduled RF communication recorded FS engineering data. FS engineering data provides
links to Earth may not support the downlink of all of the visibility into FS operations, onboard FS Health and Sta-
collected data before the subsequent Europa flybys. As such, tus, and Payload Instrument Telemetry necessary for science
the BDS must contain sufficient storage capacity to allow the data processing. Lastly, Europa Clipper mission will em-
interim accumulation and integrity of collected data, until the ploy CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP) for automated
data can be downlinked. acknowledgement and retransmission, both on uplink and
downlink.
Software Architecture— Europa Clipper Spacecraft’s Flight
Software (FSW) architecture will use software space and time Thermal Control
partitioning. Here, space partitioning refers to the division
of memory into isolated activities that enhance the execution Europa Clipper’s Thermal Control System is designed to
maintain temperatures within allowable limits in both the
robustness of critical software functions. Time partitioning extremely hot environment of Inner Cruise and the cold,
allows the operating system to schedule multiple threads
and processes in order to enhance the predictability of the energy-limited environment near Jupiter and Europa. An
active thermal control architecture, employing the pumped
software execution over time. The space partitioning con- fluid loop, provides significant power savings and design
cept allows for construction of independent components that flexibility over solely passive thermal architectures (although
enable partial, limited software modification during flight,
instead of complete software reload for every modification. Europa Clipper’s thermal design does include significant use
of passive strategies as well).
Time partitioning improves the determinism of FS behavior
by fixing the execution schedule of software modules. This
architecture also provides increased robustness, as failure in The HRS is designed to collect “waste” heat that is dissipated
one partition does not propagate to other partitions. by Spacecraft electronics during their normal operation and
direct the heat to where it is needed on the Spacecraft. Most
of the heat comes from electronics in the vault and RF
In flight, the FSW architecture allows full and partial FSW

15
module. This novel HRS architecture allows the Spacecraft Communications
to remove all thruster, propulsion line, and fuel and oxidizer
The Spacecraft communication system is mostly unchanged
tank heaters. The HRS is notionally depicted in Figure 12.
since NASA selected the Europa Clipper Instruments. A 3-
m HGA is provided to return 3.3 Tbits of data during the
The RHB is used to supplement the unit dissipation harvested
into the HRS so that sufficient heat is provided to the Propul- mission using a 35-W Ka-band TWTA on the Spacecraft.
The Spacecraft also provides an X-band transmit and receive
sion Module at all times. In the cold Europa environment, communication capability including a 20-W X-band trans-
the Thermal Subsystem also minimizes the heat loss from
the radiator using louvers and fluid mixing valves. The mitter. The X-band system provides two-way communication
with Earth during all phases of the mission via the HGA or
louvers (added to the design since the description in [3]) have
temperature-controlled bimetallic springs that open and close with any of the antennas including a medium gain antenna,
fanbeam antennas and low-gain antennas. This combination
blades which, when closed, reduce radiative heat transfer out
of the radiator. The mixing valve allows variable flow through of antennas is designed to provide coverage for all phases of
the mission and Spacecraft orientations.
the radiator for the rejection of more heat in hot cases, and
heat retention in cold cases. The radiator itself is coated
with high emittance white paint to improve heat rejection The X-band communication system will also be used to
provide gravity science measurements during the flybys of
and heaters are mounted on the back side of the radiator
Europa. These Doppler measurements from the Spacecraft
to maintain the fluid above its freeze point when the flow will allow scientists to make inferences about the surface of
bypasses the radiator in colder environments.
Europa and could be used to help confirm the presence of
a subsurface ocean on Europa. The communication system
Passive thermal design features such as MLI blankets and also includes a capability to support communications with a
sunshields are used extensively on the vehicle in addition to
the fluid loop and software-controlled heaters. The Spacecraft future potential Europa lander mission. This capability does
not require additional antennas or transmitter; it makes use of
will be flown in a HGA-to-the-sun orientation during Inner
Cruise so that the HGA can act as a sunshield, and an the existing Europa Clipper communication system to allow
data to be transmitted from a Europa lander to Europa Clipper
additional sunshield located above the HGA shadows the
instruments from the high solar intensity flux at Venus flyby. at X-band, maintained in the Europa Clipper on-board data
storage and retransmitted to Earth over either the X or Ka-
A radome sun shield covers the HGA to minimize solar band telecom link.
heating absorbed into the spacecraft at Inner Cruise. Ex-
ternal Spacecraft components and Instruments are thermally
controlled using passive thermal coatings, MLI blankets,
and a combination of flight software and thermostatically 4. F UTURE W ORK
controlled heaters. The external appendages such as supports, Having successfully passed FS PDR in October 2017, the
HGA, solar array, ICEMAG boom and nadir platform are project is marching through the season of subsystem and
thermally isolated from the main Spacecraft body to reduce Instrument PDRs leading to Project PDR in August 2018.
heat loss out of the vehicle.
The ongoing challenge for the Flight System design is to
Maneuver and Propulsion control mass and power growth as the design of each sub-
The propulsion system remains a bi-propellant Earth-storable system and Instrument matures. Another area of focus for
design that includes two fully redundant sets of twelve 25 the Flight System engineering team will be in identifying
N-class engines to perform both delta-V and attitude control opportunities to reduce the thermal demands of the system,
maneuvers. Eight axial engines will be used for the delta- including reducing heat leaks. Other areas of work include
V maneuvers, while four engines on the Y-axis facing sides improvement of the pointing performance through improved
of the Spacecraft will provide roll control. As mentioned analysis and design modifications, and improvement of the
previously, the identical titanium propellant tanks have been fidelity of the launch dynamics environment estimate, to
resized to store 2750 kg of propellant, collectively. Plumbing enable more efficient mechanical structure designs across the
for the isolation and control of the propellant is installed on Flight System.
assemblies called the Propellant Isolation Assemblies (PIA).
The fuel and oxidizer each have a PIA that are identical to
each other. The assemblies that provide helium from the 5. S UMMARY AND C ONCLUSIONS
pressurant tanks to both the fuel and oxidizer propellant tanks
is called the Pressurant Control Assemblies (PCAs). The Europa, the fourth largest moon of Jupiter, is believed to
PCA’s also isolate the pressurant from the propellant tanks be one of the best places in the solar system to look for
at launch. extant life beyond Earth. Exploring Europa to investigate
its habitability is the goal of the Europa Clipper Mission.
The propulsion module comprises the bottom section of the This exploration is intimately tied to understanding the three
Spacecraft and provides mechanical accommodation for the “ingredients” for life: water, chemistry, and energy. The joint
tanks, lines and engines. The PME, in addition to handling JPL and APL Project team together with the nine science
Propulsion Subsystem commanding and telemetry collection, investigation teams have refined the mission concept into
is also responsible for command and control of the Adjustable a highly capable preliminary Flight System design, which
Pressure Control (APC) system. The APC is a hardware promises to revolutionize our understanding of this enigmatic
algorithm for the propulsion subsystem that is used to control and tantalizing world.
pressure in the propellant tanks to a desired pressure before
certain propulsive maneuvers. Diodes are used to mitigate
the electromagnetic interference caused by actuation of the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
valves in the propulsion subsystem.
Part of the research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Lab-
oratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract

16
with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Modeling of the Flight System Design in the Early
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the Formulation of the Europa Project,” Proceedings of 2016
entire Europa Mission team – at JPL, at our partner institution Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, Montana: March 2016
the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and at all the
Instrument institutions.

B IOGRAPHY [
R EFERENCES
[1] Visions and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade
2013 - 2022 - a report of the National Research Council,
available at: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/
2013decadal/ Todd J. Bayer is a Principal Engineer in
JPL’s Systems Division. He is currently
[2] T. Bayer, B. Cooke, I. Gontijo, K. Kirby, “Europa Clipper the Flight System Engineer for Europa
Mission: the Habitability of an Icy Moon,” Proceedings Clipper. He received his B.S. in Physics
of Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, Montana: March in 1984 from the Massachusetts Institute
2015 of Technology. He started his career as
[3] T. Bayer, B. Buffington, J.F. Castet, M. Jackson, G.Lee, a project officer in the US Air Force at
K. Lewis, J. Kastner, K. Schimmels, K. Kirby, “Europa Space Division in El Segundo, Califor-
Mission Update: Beyond Payload Selection,” Proceed- nia. Following his military service, he
ings of Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, Montana: March joined the staff of JPL in 1989. He has
2017 participated in the development and operations of several
[4] NASA, “NASA’s Europa Mission Begins with missions including Mars Observer, Cassini, Deep Space 1,
Selection of Science Instruments,” 26 May 2015, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, for which he was the
NASA Press Release. Available at: https: Flight System Engineer for development and Chief Engineer
//www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s- during flight operations. During a leave of absence from
europa-mission-begins-with-selection- JPL, he worked as a systems engineer on the European next
of-science-instruments generation weather satellite at EUMETSAT in Darmstadt,
Germany. Most recently he was the Assistant Manager for
[5] L. Jones-Wilson, S. Susca, “A Framework for Extend- Flight Projects of JPL’s Systems and Software Division.
ing the Science Traceability Matrix: Application to the
Planned Europa Mission,” Proceedings of Aerospace
Conference. Big Sky, Montana: March 2017
[6] Z. Sternovsky et al., “Novel Instrument for Dust Astron-
omy: Dust Telescope,” 2011 Aerospace Conference, Big Molly Bittner is the Power Systems
Sky, Montana: March 2011 Engineer on the Europa Clipper Flight
[7] B. Buffington, S. Campagnola, A. Petropoulos, “Eu- Systems Engineering Team. Her role
ropa Multiple Flyby Trajectory Design,” AIAA-2012- focuses on system-level power functions,
5069, 2012 AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialists Con- architectures and behaviors. She is
ference, Minneapolis, MN, Aug. 13-16, 2012. in the Flight System Systems Engineer-
ing group at JPL. Previously, she was
[8] B. Buffington, N. Strange, S. Campagnola, “Global a Spacecraft Operations Systems Engi-
Moon Coverage Via Hyperbolic Flybys,” Proceedings neer on Cassini, among other short-term
23rd International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics roles during her four years on lab. She
– 23rd ISSFD, Pasadena, CA, USA, 2012. has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Insti-
[9] B. Buffington, “Trajectory design for the Europa Clipper tute of Technology and is pursuing an M.S. in Astronautical
Mission Concept,” American Institute of Aeronautics and Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Astronautics AIAA Space 2014 conference, 2014.
[10] T. Lam, J. Arrieta-Camacho, B. Buffington, “The Eu-
ropa Mission: Multiple Europa Flyby Trajectory Design
Trades And Challenges,” AAS 15-657, 2015.
Brent Buffington is a member of JPL’s
[11] B. Buffington, T. Lam, S. Campagnola, J. Ludwinski, E. Outer Planet Mission Analysis Group.
Ferguson, B. Bradley, C. Scott, M. Ozimek, A. Haapala He received his B.A. in Physics (with a
Chalk, and F. Siddique, “Evolution Of Trajectory Design Mathematics minor) from the University
Requirements On Nasa’s Planned Europa Clipper Mis- of Montana in 2002 and his M.S. in
sion,” 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Aerospace Engineering from the Univer-
Adelaide, Australia, 25-29 September 2017. sity of Colorado-Boulder in 2004. He
[12] NASA, “Proposal Information Package has been with JPL for more than 12
for the Europa Clipper,” available at: years and is the recipient the NASA Ex-
http://soma.larc.nasa.gov/europa/programLibrary.html ceptional Achievement Medal. Brent is
currently the Mission Design Manager for Europa Clipper.
[13] M. Horner, A. Eremenko, M. Gentile, “Europa Mission Previously, he was a member of the Cassini Navigation
Configuration Update to Accommodate Maturing Instru- team where he performed orbit determination and flight path
ment Designs,” Proceedings of 2017 IEEE Aerospace control, as well as played a significant role in modifying
Conference. Big Sky, Montana: March 2017 Cassini’s Prime Mission and designing both of Cassini’s
[14] G. Dubos, D. Coren, A. Kerzhner, S. Chung, J.F. Castet, extended mission trajectories.
17
 Jean-Francois Castet is a Systems En- Phase C/D. Karen previously worked as a telecommunica-
gineer in JPL’s Autonomy and Fault tions engineer and as a systems engineer both at JPL and at
Protection Group and is currently part Orbital Sciences. Karen received a B.S. degree in electrical
of the Europa Clipper Flight System En- engineering from the George Washington University and
gineering Team, focusing on fault man- an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from University of
agement. He received a M.S. Degree Southern California.
from SUPAERO (Toulouse, France), and
M.S. and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineer-
ing from the Georgia Institute of Tech-
nology (Atlanta, GA). Nori Laslo is a Systems Engineer
in APL’s Space Systems Engineering
Group. She is currently the Lead Pay-
Gregory F. Dubos is a Systems En- load Accommodation Engineer on the
gineer in JPL’s Project Systems Engi- Europa Clipper Flight System Engineer-
neering and Formulation Section. He ing Team. Nori most recently served as
has been involved in the Europa Clip- the Payload Operations Manager on the
per project since 2012 and is currently MESSENGER mission and previously
a member of the Flight System Engi- worked on the Science Planning team for
neering Team, focusing on Mechanical the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Nori
System Engineering. He also works as a received her BS in Astronomy and Computer Science from
Payload Downlink Coordinator, Strate- Rutgers University and her M.S. in Systems Engineering from
gic Communication Planner and Sci- Johns Hopkins University.
ence Planner on the Mars Science Laboratory project, and
previously served as a Risk and Programmatics Chair for
Team X, JPL’s concurrent engineering environment. He
received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aeronautics from Gene Lee is a Systems Engineer in
SUPAERO, Toulouse, France, and his M.S and Ph.D. in JPL’s Autonomy and Fault Protection
Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Tech- Group. He is currently the Fault Man-
nology. agement lead on the Europa Mission
having previously worked on the Mars
Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover. He
Maddalena Jackson is a member of received his B.S. in Engineering from
JPL’s Mission Control System Engineer- Harvey Mudd College and M.S. in Aero-
ing and Software Architecture group. nautics and Astronautics from Stanford
She is currently a member of Eu- University.
ropa Clipper’s Flight System Engineer-
ing Team, serving as FS Requirements
Lead and FS Thermal Systems Engineer.
She is also a member of Europa Clip- Kari Lewis has been a Flight System
per’s Project System Engineering Team, engineer at JPL since 1996. She joined
where she develops software and au- JPL after graduating with her BS in
tomation for Europa Clipper’s Model-Based Systems Engi- Aerospace Engineering from the Univer-
neering environment. She has worked previously on missions sity of Texas at Austin. She also received
including Juno and NASA’s Human Spaceflight efforts. She her MBA from the Anderson School of
received her B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College. Business at the University of California,
Los Angeles in 2004. Ms. Lewis has
Jason Kastner is Europa Clipper’s worked several missions in her career,
Deputy Flight Systems Engineer. This including Deep Space 2, Mars Recon-
role comes after nearly a decade as a naissance Orbiter, Mars Science Laboratory, Jason-3, and
mechanical manager at JPL, most re- recently Europa. Her current position is lead payload system
cently as the Delivery Manager for the engineer for the Europa mission. Kari has received the NASA
SMAP Spacecraft Mechanical Systems. excellence in system engineering award for her work with
He has previously worked as a systems model based system engineering on Europa.
engineer and SE manager at Northrop
Grumman (nee TRW). He received his
BS and MS in mathematics from Cal Ron Morillo received his B.S. and M.S.
Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and his doctorate in in Computer Science from the university
applied mathematics from Caltech. of Southern California. His technical
expertise is in flight software and in-
Karen W. Kirby is a Principal En- formation system development, test and
gineer in the Systems Engineering and operations supporting a number of JPL
Applications Group of the APL Space missions including Galileo, Cassini and
Department. She is currently Europa Mars missions. At the system engineer-
Clipper’s Deputy Flight system engineer ing level, Ron has supported the integra-
and most recently she served as the Van tion and test of mission-critical software
Allen probes Mission System Engineer systems, spacecraft operations, Ground System tool develop-
during mission operations as well as ment and Spacecraft Simulation and software cost modeling.
Spacecraft System Engineer during de- He is currently developing the Flight System Information
velopment of the RBSP Spacecraft in System architecture for the Europa Clipper mission.
18
 Mana Salami is a Flight Systems Engi-
neer at JPL. She received her bachelor’s
degree in Aerospace Engineering from
the University of Texas at Austin and her
master’s degree in Astronautical Engi-
neering from the University of Southern
California. Mana joined JPL in 2010 as
an Integration and Test Engineer. Mana
served as the cognizant engineer for the
Power Distribution Unit on ASTRA and
also supported the environmental testing of Curiosity. Mana
is currently a Flight Systems Engineer on Europa Clipper,
where she is responsible for developing requirements, per-
forming trade studies, managing the interfaces within the
Flight System, and overseeing the design for maneuvering
and pointing the Flight System.

Kathy Schimmels is a member of JPL’s

Mission Operations Systems Engineer-
ing Group and is currently the MOS
Engineering Lead for the Europa Mis-
sion. Kathy served as the MOS Engi-
neering Lead for the Dawn Mission to
Vesta and Ceres, and the NuSTAR X-
ray Telescope Mission. She has over 7
years of flight ops experience in science
operations and leadership during both
prime and extended mission operations on the Galileo Mis-
sion. Additionally, Kathy was the lead systems engineer in
the development of a multi-mission operations system model
as the basis for future mission development. She received her
B.S. and and M.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering Sciences
from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a minor in
Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric sciences.

Oleg Sindiy received his B.S. in

Aerospace Engineering from Embry-
Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
in 2004, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Aero-
nautical and Astronautical Engineering
from Purdue University in 2007 and
2010 respectively. Dr. Sindiy has been
working as a systems architect at JPL
since 2011, where he has supported de-
velopment and operations of variety of
space exploration systems such as: CubeSats, ISS instru-
ments, deep space robotic orbiters, landers, and rovers, and
human space flight vehicles. He is currently supporting
the development of the Flight System Information System
architecture for the Europa Clipper mission.

Brett Smith is a member of the tech-

nical staff in JPL’s Guidance and Con-
trol Section. After acquiring his B.S. in
control systems engineering at Montana
Tech, he received a M.S. in aerospace
engineering from the George Washing-
ton University through a joint research
program with NASA Langley. Joining
JPL in 2004, he has worked operations
on Cassini, EPOXI, and more recently
the attitude control lead for the Dawn mission. He is currently
the maneuver and Pointing System Engineer on the Europa
Clipper mission.

19