Joint Milli-Arcsecond Pathfinder Survey Overview

TL;DR

JMAPS is a space-based all-sky survey aiming to create a highly accurate astrometric catalog of bright stars, improving proper motion data and extending the precision of previous catalogs like Hipparcos.

Contribution

This paper introduces the JMAPS mission, a novel space-based astrometric survey designed to produce a high-precision star catalog with improved proper motion accuracy.

Findings

Achieves 1 mas positional accuracy for stars magnitude 1-12.

Proper motions with 100 microarcsecond/year accuracy for bright stars.

Extends the precision and longevity of the Hipparcos catalog.

Abstract

The Joint Milli-Arcsecond Pathfinder Survey (JMAPS) mission is a Department of Navy (DoN) space-based, all-sky astrometric bright star survey. JMAPS is currently funded for flight, with at 2012 launch date. JMAPS will produce an all-sky astrometric, photometric and spectroscopic catalog covering the magnitude range of 1-12, with extended results through 15th magnitude at an accuracy of 1 milliarcsecond (mas) positional accuracy at a mean observing epoch of approximately 2013. Using Hipparcos and Tycho positional data from 1991, proper motions with accuracies of 100 microarcseconds (umas) per year should be achievable for all of the brightest stars, with the result that the catalog will degrade at a much reduced rate over time when compared with the Hipparcos catalog. JMAPS will accomplish this with a relatively modest aperture, very high accuracy astrometric telescope flown in low earth orbit (LEO) aboard a microsat. Mission baseline is for a three-year mission life (2012-2015) in a 900 km sun synchronous terminator orbit.