Galilean satellite observation plans for the near-infrared mapping spectrometer experiment on the Galileo spacecraft

On December 7, 1995, the Galileo spacecraft will begin observations of the Jovian system with orbit insertion and a satellite tour of 10 orbits. The Galilean satellites will be observed with four remote sensing instruments spanning the ultraviolet, visible, near infrared, and thermal infrared regions of the spectrum. The Galileo near-infrared mapping spectrometer will observe the satellites in the wavelength range 0.7–5.2 μm, a region particularly well suited for analyzing volatile components. Planned observations include mapping most available longitudes at about 100-km resolution per pixel at full wavelength resolution, together with observing limited regions at high spatial resolution. The opportunity to affect the choice and design of observations for the Galileo tour extends until June 1996.