The Jovian Charging Environment and Its Effects—A Review

Several space missions are being considered for Jupiter. These range from the recently launched Juno mission to possible joint NASA and ESA missions to Europa and Ganymede. Although the direct effects of radiation dose are normally considered the most pressing design issue for these missions, spacecraft charging, through surface charging, vxB, and, more importantly, internal charging, is also a key design concern. This paper reviews the current state of understanding of the jovian charging environment including the background plasma, high-energy electrons, and magnetic field. In conjunction with these environments, we will also review the range of effects to be expected in response to these environments. These effects need to be carefully considered in parallel with radiation effects in the design of the planned missions if they are to survive in the extremely challenging jovian environment.