Articles | Volume 44, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-1075-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-1075-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Regular paper
| 
14 Oct 2026
Regular paper |
| 14 Oct 2026
| 14 Oct 2026
In-flight receiver calibration of the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) by passive Earth observations
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
Department of Cosmosciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-10 Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
Alexander Stark
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Klaus-Dieter Matz
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Christian Hüttig
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Kai Wickhusen
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Livio Agostini
INAF-IAPS (Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
Christian Althaus
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Jan Binger
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Keigo Enya
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Miura-gun, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
Janot George
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Kay Lingenauber
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Jun Kimura
Department of Earth and Space Science, The University of Osaka, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
Masanori Kobayashi
Planetary Exploration Research Center, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2-17-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino, Chiba 275-0016, Japan
Giulio Macrì
Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Galileo Galilei”, Università di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Wladimir Neumann
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation Science, Technische Universität Berlin, Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 104-106, 10553 Berlin, Germany
Luca Penasa
INAF-OAPd (Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova), Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
Ganna Portyankina
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Cecilia Tubiana
INAF-IAPS (Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
Konrad Willner
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Pasquale Palumbo
INAF-IAPS (Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
Hauke Hussmann
Institute of Space Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
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Ricardo Hueso, Arrate Antuñano, Luisa María Lara, Katrin Stephan, Angelo Zinzi, Athena Coustenis, Yoav Yair, Mitsuteru Sato, Junichi Haruyama, Amy Simon, Cecilia Tubiana, Luca Penasa, Livio Agostini, Alice Lucchetti, Alessio Aboudan, Michael Aye, Elke Kersten, Klaus-Dieter Matz, Romolo Politi, Frank Trauthan, Ry Evill, Ines Belgacem, Takahashi Yukihiro, Jose María Castro-Marin, Vincenzo Della Corte, Stubbe Hviid, Thomas Roatsch, Nicole Schmitz, Manish Patel, Ganna Portyankina, and Pasquale Palumbo
Ann. Geophys., 44, 1043–1073, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-1043-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-1043-2026, 2026
Short summary
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JANUS (Jovis, Amorum ac Natorum Undique Scrutator), the high-resolution camera on ESA’s JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission, observed Earth during the August 2024 Lunar–Earth Gravity Assist. Images from a close flyby captured night- and day-side atmospheric phenomena, and a distant view resulted in a low-resolution Earth portrait. These observations validate JANUS performance and demonstrate the instrument’s capabilities. We focus our analysis on characterizing atmospheric systems that provide relevant examples for future studies of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Yves Langevin, Sébastien Rodriguez, Sandrine Guerlet, François Poulet, Giuseppe Piccioni, Livio Agostini, Raymond Armante, Emiliano D'Aversa, Gianrico Filacchione, Leigh Fletcher, Fabrizio Oliva, Clément Royer, Benoît Seignovert, Katrin Stephan, Federico Tosi, and Tim Trent
Ann. Geophys., 44, 825–853, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-825-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-44-825-2026, 2026
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We present an updated spectral and radiometric calibration of the Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer (MAJIS) aboard the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), based on results of Earth and Moon observations in August 2024 and on observations of the MAJIS internal calibration unit. Very good agreements were obtained with results of other instruments and models. These MAJIS observations provide a promising teaser of what will be achieved by MAJIS in the system of Jupiter.
Benoît Seignovert, François Poulet, Yves Langevin, Emiliano D'Aversa, Nicolas Ligier, Cydalise Dumesnil, Magali Mesbout, Cédric Leyrat, Sophie Jacquinod, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Gabriel Tobie, Nicolas Mangold, Giuseppe Piccioni, Federico Tosi, Katrin Stephan, Pasquale Palumbo, Livio Agostini, Luca Penasa, Laetitia Le Deit, Thomas Cornet, Ines Belgacem, Marc Costa-Sitja, Alfredo Escalante Lopez, and Simeon Schmauß
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2655, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2655, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Annales Geophysicae (ANGEO).
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This paper is the first in-flight geometric calibration of the MAJIS visible and infrared mapping spectrometer instrument onboard the ESA-Juice mission. It contains an overview of the spatial distribution of the MAJIS signal collected at different scan angles and their position in MAJIS field of view; the first two starfields in-flight calibration and multiple comparisons with the data collected by other Juice instruments during the first Lunar and Earth Gravity Assist (LEGA) by Juice in 2024.
Alice Lucchetti, Matteo Massironi, Klaus Gwinner, Thomas Kenkmann, Luca Penasa, Namitha R. Baby, Laura Rotzoll, Oguzcan Karagoz, Juan L. Rizos, Maurizio Pajola, Federico Tosi, Sonia Fornasier, Filippo Tusberti, Katrin Stephan, Riccardo Pozzobon, Javier E. Suarez-Valencia, Davide Cagnin, Francesca Zambon, Gianluca Chiarolanza, Athena Coustenis, Lorenza Giacomini, Ernst Hauber, Simone Marchi, Pietro Matteoni, Giuseppe Mitri, Costanza Rossi, Ricardo Hueso, Alessio Aboudan, Livio Agostini, Elke Kersten, Klaus D. Matz, Romolo Politi, Frank Trauthan, Cecilia Tubiana, Michael Aye, Angelo Zinzi, Ry Evill, Ines Belgacem, Jose M. Castro-Marin, Vincenzo Della Corte, Stubbe Hviid, Thomas Roatsch, Nicole Schmitz, Luisa M. Lara, Manish R. Patel, Ganna Portyankina, Pasquale Palumbo, and the JANUS team
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1901, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1901, 2026
Short summary
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During a lunar flyby, the JANUS camera on board the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission captured detailed images of the Moon’s surface. We studied a large impact crater and a nearby highland region, finding evidence of complex surface changes over time and signs of unusual volcanic activity. These results improve our understanding of how the Moon evolved and confirm that the JANUS camera is ready for future exploration of Jupiter’s moons.
Cecilia Tubiana, Luca Penasa, Livio Agostini, Alessio Aboudan, Michael Aye, Klaus-Dieter Matz, Matthew Read, Thomas Bilotta, Ricardo Hueso, Alice Lucchetti, Elke Kersten, Romolo Politi, Ganna Portyankina, Benoit Seignovert, Frank Trauthan, Angelo Zinzi, Ry Evill, Angela Dietz, Ines Belgacem, Thomas Cornet, Jose María Castro-Marin, Vincenzo Della Corte, Stubbe Hviid, Thomas Roatsch, Nicole Schmitz, Manish R. Patel, Luisa M. Lara, and Pasquale Palumbo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2008, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2008, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes the observations of Moon and the Earth carried on by JANUS during LEGA in Aug 2024 and the in Sept 2024 when JUICE looked back to the Moon-Earth system following the flyby. The observation sequences are described together with the limitations that had to be taken into account during the design process. Some highlights are lessons learned from the campaigns are provided, including the importance of science-like activities during the long cruise phase of planetary missions.
Livio Agostini, Klaus-Dieter Matz, Cecilia Tubiana, Vincenzo Della Corte, Luca Penasa, Thomas Bilotta, Francesco Sarti, Matthew Read, Stubbe Hviid, Stefano Mottola, Alessio Aboudan, Frank Trauthan, Romolo Politi, Michael Aye, Ricardo Hueso, Alice Lucchetti, Elke Kersten, Ines Belgacem, Angela Dietz, Ry Evill, Jim F. Bell III, Angelo Zinzi, Jose María Castro-Marin, Thomas Roatsch, Nicole Schmitz, Manish R. Patel, Luisa M. Lara, Ganna Portyankina, and Pasquale Palumbo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2032, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2032, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
JANUS is the high-resolution multispectral camera on board of the ESA JUICE mission. During 19-20 August 2024 JUICE flew by the Moon and the Earth performing a Lunar-Earth Gravity Assist maneuver that provided a unique opportunity to test the instruments in mission-like conditions. In this paper we describe the status of the calibration pipeline applied to JANUS data acquired, the lessons learned by the analysis of the calibrated data and the open points.
Hao Chen, Jürgen Oberst, Philipp Gläser, and Konrad Willner
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLVIII-G-2025, 275–280, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-275-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-275-2025, 2025
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Short summary
In-flight calibration of the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) aboard Juice mission is important for measuring topography and tidal deformation of icy moons as well as surface reflectance. Using passive Earth observations, this study establishes a framework for receiver calibration in comparison with images. As a result, we report that GALA may have experienced a post-launch boresight offset over 700 μrad, together with the radiometric calibration for future reflectance measurements by GALA.
In-flight calibration of the Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) aboard Juice mission is important...
