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Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Participation

Dawn Framing Camera

The Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing Group was directly involved in the international Dawn mission for many years. 

Prof. Neukum† was Co-Investigator of the Framing Camera experiment onboard the orbiter Dawn. Also Prof. Jaumann was involved in the mission as Co-Investigator and Team Member of the Framing Camera (FC) experiment.

The project has been funded at Freien Universität Berlin since the mission´s start by the National Space Administration with means of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The latest approved period of funding reaches from November 2015 to March 2020 (ref.no. 50 OW 1505).

color-coded elevation model of Vesta

Subjects of the Dawn project

  • Co-operation in the planning and preparation of data collection during the mission
  • Data processing of the Framing Camera
  • Data evaluation and preparation of scientific publications
  • Contributions to public and outreach activities

The following are our objectives in data evaluation:

  • Optical surface mapping
  • Investigation of geological processes
  • Identification of asteroidal shape and volume

         

  • Analysis of the rotational properties
  • Analysis of the reflective properties of surfaces and of surface roughness
  • Identification of crater morphologies and crater distribution
  • Research on geological fault systems and associated volcanism
  • Input for the Radio Science experiment to determine the gravitational field and density of the bodies, as well as to derivate their internal structure
  • Search for orbiting dust and satellites

Participants in the Dawn project team