In a test facility at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, the team working on the Europa Imaging System (EIS) narrow angle camera (NAC) for NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft took its “first light” image with the NAC telescope and detector. Taken Feb. 18, 2022, as part of the initial tests to confirm the camera's optics are in focus, the image features a test pattern over the central part of the camera's detector. The stripes at the bottom of the image are color filters. Following this test, the NAC will be integrated with its gimbal, which will allow the camera to point independently from the spacecraft, and then undergo additional testing in spring 2022 to simulate the harsh conditions it will face during launch and in space. The team will then integrate the NAC with its data processing unit for end-to-end electromagnetic tests, followed by optical characterization in a simulated space environment in APL's Optical Calibration Facility. Once all testing is complete, the EIS NAC will be shipped to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, for integration with Europa Clipper.
Source: Johns Hopkins APL
Published: March 22, 2022