Oxford Instruments collaborates with the University of Helsinki to develop a pioneering spectrometer for the BepiColombo space mission to Mercury

BepiColombo is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) mission to Mercury. The BepiColombo spacecraft will set off in 2013 on a journey towards the planet Mercury lasting approximately six years, after which it performs scientific operations for up to two years. Onboard the mission will be the pioneering SIXS instrument (Solar Intensity X-ray and particle Spectrometer) developed in a Finnish consortium lead by the Observatory of the University of Helsinki.

The main task of SIXS is to provide observations of X-ray and particle radiation on Mercury’s surface for the analysis of the X-ray glow of Mercury by the UK BepiColombo instrument MIXS (Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer). Aside from this, the data of SIXS is very valuable for independent studies of the X-ray Sun and the particle radiation environment around Mercury and its magnetosphere.

The Sensor Unit of SIXS consists of two main parts: an X-ray detector system and a proton and electron detector system. Oxford Instruments is responsible for the design, development, manufacturing, and testing of the X-ray detector system and the Sensor Unit for the SIXS instrument. The design and testing of the particle detector is conducted by Aboa Space Research Oy (ASRO), Finland. Other Finnish collaborators are the Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI (project managing, FPGA coding, EGSE design), Space Systems Finland Oy, SSF (software, systems engineering), Ideal Product Data Oy (thermal modelling) and Patria Oyj (Digital
Processing Unit). The collaboration includes also UK contribution by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, RAL (readout ASIC for the particle detector system).

Finland’s discussions to participate in the BepiColombo project began in 2001 and Oxford Instruments Analytical Oy (OIA Oy) has been involved from the very start in the plans. The first contract was secured during 2004 for the instrument proposal to ESA for a Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) payload. A second contract followed in 2005-2007 for the breadboard model of the SIXS Sensor unit.

The implementation phase, which started in January 2008, will last until 2011. The project is divided in three parts, each marked by the delivery of hardware: Structural and Thermal model (STM) in January 2009, Engineering Model (EM) in January 2010, Flight Model (FM) in January 2011 and Flight Spare Unit (FS) in April 2011. After delivery of the FS a follow-up project will run through to launch in August 2013.

Tekes, the Finnish Agency for Technology and Innovation, is funding Finland’s contribution to the BepiColombo mission until 2013. Funding for the initial implementation phase contract between OIA Oy and the University of Helsinki will cover costs for all work through to delivery of STM in January 2009. OIA Oy has been successful in many similar projects and in the BepiColombo program to date and would hope to be in a strong position to be awarded prestigious follow-on contracts.