Quantic Wenzel, a leader in crystal oscillators, frequency sources, and integrated microwave assemblies, has completed delivery of a space-qualified, frequency synthesizer assembly for NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission.
Scheduled to launch next year, the spacecraft will orbit Jupiter to perform a detailed exploration of Europa – a moon that shows evidence for an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust and which could host conditions suitable for life.
Europa Clipper will carry instrumentation that can look directly into the moon’s icy shell — it is called the Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface, or REASON. REASON will use radio waves to penetrate Europa’s ice as much as 18 miles deep. It will search for the moon’s suspected ocean, measure ice thickness, and study the ice’s internal structure, including any internal water bodies that may connect the surface and the ocean.
Working closely with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission, Quantic Wenzel engineered and manufactured a custom, space-qualified frequency synthesizer assembly. The assembly consists of a single stable local oscillator that generates the reference frequencies for all the instrument timing signals.
Earlier this month, Quantic Wenzel celebrated its 30th year supporting space RF/MW applications.
“Our support of the Europa Clipper mission is another exciting step in our work with JPL. Wenzel is widely known as a company that RF engineers come to when they need to solve their unique frequency reference and timing challenges for space applications.”
— Jigar Shah, Director of Business Development at Quantic Wenzel
About the company
Since 1978, Wenzel has defined the absolute state of the science in ultra-low phase noise crystal oscillators, a portfolio complemented by a range of advanced frequency sources and integrated microwave assemblies. Quantic Wenzel’s oscillators and synthesizers are designed into mission-critical military, space, and commercial applications. Unmatched precision, low-g sensitivity and very low phase noise distinguish Quantic Wenzel’s engineering expertise, so customers can execute with full confidence – and without hesitation. And as a Quantic company, Quantic Wenzel is a part of an extended engineering ecosystem and powerful supply chain, defining a competitive advantage that extends to every customer.