The operations plan for the MErcury Radiometer and Thermal infrared Imaging Spectrometer (MERTIS) on its way to Mercury

The MErcury Radiometer and Thermal infrared Imaging Spectrometer (MERTIS) is a highly integrated instrument to study mineralogy and temperature distribution of Mercury’s surface in unprecedented quality. MERTIS was proposed in 2003 as payload of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter spacecraft of the joint ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission. With the planned launch on top of an Ariane 5 in October of 2018, the mission will soon start its 7 years journey to Mercury. On its way to Mercury, BepiColombo will have 2 flybys of Venus and one of the Earth-Moon system. MERTIS will obtain data during each of these flybys – for Venus the first mid-infrared spectral data since Venera 15 in 1983. After arrival at Mercury in 2025 MERTIS will globally map the surface composition with a resolution of 500m, and study surface temperature variations providing an insight into the thermo-physical properties of the surface. To achieve this, MERTIS combines a push-broom IR grating spectrometer (TIS) with a radiometer (TIR) sharing the same optics, instrument electronics and in-flight calibration components for the whole wavelength range of 7-14 µm (TIS) and 7-40 µm (TIR), respectively. Instrument operations in the challenging environment at Mercury with power and data constraints require a sophisticated mapping scheme for the TIS observations, which also has to account for the MERTIS calibration needs. Execution of this scheme creates challenges for the operation of the instruments, data processing, and the creation of map products. Extensive onground testing and rehearsals during the Venus and Earth flybys will ensure flawless performance at Mercury.