ChaSTE Experiment's Front-End Electronics Successfully Characterized for Lunar Thermal Studies

The Chandra Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, aims to investigate the thermal behavior of the lunar surface's outermost 100 mm layer. This is achieved through a thermal probe equipped with ten temperature sensors (Platinum RTDs) and a heater for thermal conductivity measurements. The onboard electronics of ChaSTE consist of two main components: Front-End Electronics (FEE) and Processing Electronics (PE). The FEE is responsible for sensor signal conditioning, which includes exciting the RTD sensors, acquiring analog voltages, and converting these signals to digital form using an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC).

The calibration and characterization of the FEE were conducted to ensure its functionality and performance under various conditions. A two-phase calibration process was implemented, which involved electronic offset correction and temperature calibration. The results indicated that the FEE performed well within design margins and behaved as expected under simulated lunar conditions. This data is crucial for interpreting the actual scientific data collected by ChaSTE during its operation on the lunar surface.

The findings from this research are documented in the paper titled "Characterisation of Front-End Electronics of ChaSTE experiment onboard Chandayaan-3 lander" by K. Durga Prasad et al., available on arXiv under the identifier arXiv:2409.00150. This work contributes to our understanding of lunar thermal properties, which is essential for future lunar exploration and potential habitation.