Onwards to Europa: Results from the final ground calibration of the MASPEX-Europa flight instrument

<p>The MAss Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration (MASPEX) instrument is a multi-bounce time-of-flight mass spectrometer designed for high mass resolution and sensitivity. MASPEX-Europa will launch as part of the Europa Clipper mission payload in October 2024 to characterize the composition of major, minor, and trace neutral gases in Europa’s exosphere and potential plumes. The instrument has been designed to optimize measurement of complex natural environments with:</p> <ul> <li>Variable mass resolution to support compositional reconnaissance with simultaneous measurement of ions from 2 u to 500 u at separation of unit masses, as well as focused analysis with mass resolution capable of separating CHN- and CHO-bearing organics over a more narrow mass range</li> <li>Nearly 100% duty cycle via storage of ions in the source between extraction pulses</li> <li>Exact mass identification via measurement in flight of the FC-43 calibrant gas</li> <li>Measurement of trace compounds via enhancement of abundance with the cryocooler</li> <li>Automated switching triggered in flight between “regular” and “ice grain” measurement parameters for optimization of data collection</li> </ul> <p>These adaptations make MASPEX especially well-suited for data collection in a dynamic environment where measurement speed is important. The capability to provide both general and highly specific data on the composition of volatile and organic mixtures makes MASPEX very powerful to quantify habitability via geochemical indicators, and to search for the first, perhaps tentative signs of life beyond Earth via measurements of agnostic biosignatures such as isotopic ratios.</p> <p>In this presentation, we will provide results from the final calibration and performance characterization of the MASPEX-Europa flight model instrument completed in summer 2022. We will also present the science that will be enabled for Europa Clipper, and how new scientific and technical innovations will allow MASPEX to open more windows into planetary evolution, cosmochemistry, and astrobiology for future missions.</p>