MEGANE Instrument Test Model Goes to Japan for Physical Tests and Design Review A 3D rendering of the MEGANE instrument, showing the gamma-ray spectrometer and radiator (top left) and the neutron spectrometer (bottom right). Credit: Johns Hopkins APL Spencer Disque, the engineering lead on the MEGANE structural thermal model at APL, stands with the two shipping containers that house the MEGANE structural thermal model components. Credit: Johns Hopkins APL On Dec. 2, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) team designing a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer for the Japan-led Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission shipped a test model of their instrument to the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO), which is building the MMX spacecraft for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The delivery represents a major milestone in the instrument’s development, as it’s the first opportunity for the JAXA and APL teams to physically test how well the MEGANE instrumentation fits into the MMX spacecraft design.