Europa Imaging System


The Europa Imaging System is a visible spectrum wide and narrow angle camera on board the planned Europa Clipper mission that will map most of Europa at resolution, and will provide images of selected surface areas at up to 0.5 m resolution.
EIS will provide comprehensive data sets, including cartographic and three-dimensional geologic maps, regional and high-resolution digital topography, geographic information system data products, color and photometric data products, a geodetic control network tied to radar altimetry, and a database of plume-search observations.

Overview

EIS combines a narrow-angle camera and a wide-angle camera designed to address the reconnaissance goals. Both cameras operate on the visible spectrum and make use of push broom scanners for obtaining images with spectroscopic sensors.
The Principal investigator is Elizabeth Turtle.

Objectives

The objectives of the EIS instrument are:
;Narrow angle camera
The NAC provides very high-resolution, stereo reconnaissance, generating 2 km wide swaths at 0.5 m pixel scale from 50 km altitude. NAC observations also include: near-global mapping of Europa at ≥50 m pixel scale; regional and high-resolution stereo imaging at <1 m/pixel, and high phase angle observations for plume searches. The NAC will also perform high-phase-angle observations to search for potential plumes, even
when the spacecraft is distant from Europa.
;Wide angle camera
The WAC will acquire stereo reconnaissance, generating digital topographic models with 32 m spatial scale and 4 m vertical precision from 50 km altitude.