EmTroniX, a Luxembourg-based leader in advanced electronic systems, plays a pivotal role in ESA’s groundbreaking Hera mission to study the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system. Its expertise in radiation-hardened electronics is powering the revolutionary Juventas CubeSat radar, enabling humanity’s first subsurface scan of an asteroid.
EmTroniX’s Contribution to the Juventas CubeSat
EmTroniX designed and delivered the core electronics for Juventas’ low-frequency radar (JuRa), the smallest radar system ever flown in space. This innovation will allow the CubeSat to:
- Transmit coded radar signals through 1.5-meter deployable antennas
- Operate in extreme deep-space radiation environments
- Achieve a 3D internal map of Dimorphos with 100-meter penetration depth
Cedric Lorant, EmTroniX CEO, emphasized: “Delivering space-ready electronics required rigorous radiation testing and seamless integration with international partners like IPAG Grenoble and TU Dresden.”
Hera Mission Timeline: Key Milestones
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 7 Oct 2024 | Launch aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral |
| Mar 2025 | Mars gravity assist with Deimos moon flyby |
| Oct 2026 | Arrival at Didymos system, Juventas deployment |
| Nov-Dec 2026 | Radar mapping of Dimorphos’ interior |
| Jan 2027 | Historic CubeSat landing on Dimorphos surface |
- First Asteroid Heart Scan: Juventas’ radar will reveal internal structures never before seen, using signals reflected up to 20 times for enhanced clarity.
- Solar Surfing Orbit: The CubeSat maintains position using solar radiation pressure against Dimorphos’ microgravity.
- Interplanetary CubeSat Record: At 12 kg, Juventas will become the smallest spacecraft to land on a celestial body.
- Radiation-Hardened Innovation: EmTroniX’s electronics has been designed to survive 45+ hours of operation in harsh interplanetary space.
- Global Collaboration: Luxembourg’s EmTroniX worked with partners from seven countries to achieve this milestone in planetary defence.
The Juventas Consortium: International Collaboration at Its Core
The success of the Juventas CubeSat within ESA’s Hera mission will be the result of a robust international consortium, bringing together expertise from across Europe. The project is led by GomSpace Luxembourg, with significant contributions from several specialized partners, each responsible for key elements of the mission.
Key Consortium Members and Their Roles:
- GomSpace Luxembourg: Project prime, responsible for overall spacecraft integration and management, with support from GomSpace Denmark and GomSpace Sweden for platform components.
- GMV Innovating Solutions (Romania): Leads the guidance, navigation, and control subsystem, ensuring precise maneuvering around the asteroid.
- EmTroniX (Luxembourg): Leads the implementation of the low-frequency radar payload electronics, providing the cutting-edge technology behind the JuRa radar system.
- IPAG – Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (France): Responsible for the radar concept design, scientific measurements, and part of the receive chain electronics.
- Technische Universität Dresden (Germany): Provides expertise in RF antenna simulation and testing, and contributes to the transmit chain electronics.
- Astronika (Poland): Delivers the deployable radar antennas essential for the radar’s operation.
- Filip Záplata from the Czech Republic contributing to the radar digital design
- EMXYS – Embedded Instruments and Systems (Spain): Supplies the gravimeter payload, with scientific support from the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
This strong consortium ensures that Juventas benefits from the latest advances in small satellite technology, radar science, and deep-space navigation. EmTroniX’s contribution is a vital part of this collective effort, but the mission’s achievements are the result of close collaboration among all partners, each bringing unique expertise to this pioneering project.
By working together, the Juventas consortium demonstrates the power of international cooperation in advancing Europe’s leadership in planetary defence and space exploration.
Luxembourg’s Space Technology Legacy
This mission cemented Luxembourg’s role in deep-space exploration, with EmTroniX demonstrating world-class capabilities in:
- Radiation-tolerant FPGA design
- Low-power signal processing
- Miniaturized space systems integration
As Marc Serres (Luxembourg Space Agency CEO) noted: “Juventas positions Luxembourg as a key player in asteroid science and future resource utilization.”
By powering humanity’s first asteroid interior scan, EmTroniX is writing a new chapter in space exploration – proving that cutting-edge electronics from small nations can drive giant leaps in cosmic understanding.
