JUICE RIME instrument characterisation test

One of the goals of the JUICE mission is to learn more about the structure of the three large and icy moons of Jupiter: Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The surfaces of these moons are a mix of rock and ice. Using radar techniques, we can see a up to a few kilometers below the surfaces and learn more about how they are build up. The Radar for Icy Moons Explorer (RIME) instrument is designed to do just that. RIME consists of a 16 meter long antenna, which works as a dipole. Operating at a frequency of 9MHz, RIME can sound to about 9km below the surfaces of the moons. RIME will be the first instrument to be taken to Jupiter capable of performing direct subsurface measurements. Due to its long length and low operating frequency, testing the performance of the real RIME and the influence of the JUICE spacecraft is a challenge. A 1:18 scale model is used to characterise the working of the instrument as if it were in space. This is done is so-called anechoic chamber at the ESA / ESTEC Antenna Test Facilities