The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE): Mission, science, and instrumentation of its receiver modules

• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2021.11.036
• Publication Date: 2021-12-05T21:51:03Z
• Authors: Keigo Enya; Masanori Kobayashi; Jun Kimura; Hiroshi Araki; Noriyuki Namiki; Hirotomo Noda; Shingo Kashima; Shoko Oshigami; Ko Ishibashi; T. Yamawaki; Kazuyuki Tohara; Yoshifumi Saito; Masanobu Ozaki; Takahide Mizuno; Shunichi Kamata; Koji Matsumoto; Sho Sasaki; Kiyoshi Kuramoto; Yuki Sato; Takeshi Yokozawa; Tsutomu Numata; Satoko Mizumoto; Hiroyuki Mizuno; Kenta Nagamine; Akihiko Sawamura; Kazuo Tanimoto; Hisato Imai; Hiroyuki Nakagawa; Okiharu Kirino; David Green; Masayuki Fujii; Satoru Iwamura; Naofumi Fujishiro; Yoshiaki Matsumoto; Kay Lingenauber; Reinald Kallenbach; Christian Althaus; Thomas Behnke; Jan Binger; Anna Daurskikh; Henri Eisenmenger; Ulrich Heer; Christian Hüttig; Luisa M. Lara; Alexander Lichopoj; Horst-Georg Lötzke; Fabian Lüdicke; Harald Michaelis; Juan Pablo Rodrig...; Kerstin Rösner; Alexander Stark; Gregor Steinbrügge; Pascal Thabaut; Nicolas Thomas; Simone del Togno; Daniel Wahl; Belinda Wendler; Kai Wickhusen; Konrad Willner; Hauke Hussmann
• Keywords: Icy moon; Jupiter (rocket family); Instrumentation; Scientific instrument; Space research; Planetary science

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is a science mission led by the European Space Agency, being developed for launch in 2023. Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) an instrument onboard JUICE, whose main scientific goals are to understand ice tectonics based on topographic data, subsurface structure measuring tidal response, and small-scale roughness albedo of surface. In addition, from perspective astrobiology, it imperative study ocean scientifically. development GALA has proceeded through international collaboration between Germany (the lead), Japan, Switzerland, Spain. Within this framework, Japanese team (GALA-J) responsible developing three receiver modules: Backend Optics (BEO), Focal Plane Assembly (FPA), Analog Electronics Module (AEM). Like German team, GALA-J also software simulate performance entire system (performance model). July 2020, Proto-Flight Models BEO, FPA, AEM were delivered Japan Germany. This paper presents overview JUICE/GALA its objectives describes instrumentation, mainly focusing Japan's contribution.