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ExoMars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since January 2007. |
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This article or section contains information regarding a future spaceflight. Due to the nature of the content, details may change dramatically as the launch date approaches and/or more information becomes available. |
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ExoMars is scheduled to be the first European-led Mars rover mission, and combines technology development with investigations of major scientific interest. It is a robotic mission which will provide Europe with new technologies for the exploration of Mars, specifically the Entry, Descent and Landing System (EDLS), the surface Rover and its Drill and Sample Preparation and Distribution System (SPDS).
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The rover will be launched on a Soyuz ST 2-1b / Fregat from the Guiana Space Center (Kourou) in 2013. The ExoMars spacecraft will consist of the Carrier Module and a Descent Module, consisting of the Entry, Descent and Landing System, the Rover Egress System with a small scientific payload, and the Rover itself with the main scientific payload. The rover will weigh about 140-180 kg, comparable to the American Mars Exploration Rovers. Instrumentation will consist of the 10 kg Pasteur Payload and the Geophysical Science Package, containing a large drill. The launch vehicle is currently being reconsidered as a more powerful launcher will allow a more capable probe to be launched.
In 2014, after separation from the launcher and after almost two years of flight, the Carrier Module will deliver the Descent Module to Mars from a hyperbolic approach trajectory. Once safely landed on the Martian surface, ExoMars will deploy the rover. The solar-powered rover will begin a 180-sol (6 month) mission, while the landing module will monitor its environment for at least six years.[1]
The rover will use solar arrays to generate electricity. To counter the difficulty of remote control due to communication lag, ExoMars will have autonomous software for visual terrain navigation and independent maintenance.
Data will likely be relayed to Earth by the American Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite. However, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft could be used.
The alternative mission scenario includes a launch from Kourou with an Ariane 5 in 2013. Because of the higher payload of the rocket, a separate orbiter and a doubling of the scientific payload from 8 to 16 kg is possible. The landing from an orbiter makes it possible to wait for a storm free period and to land with a higher accuracy. The landing procedure and ground operations will be similar to the baseline mission. After the lander has been released and landed on the surface of Mars, the orbiter would transfer itself into a more suitable orbit where it would be able to operate as a data-relay satellite.
Originally, ExoMars was part of European Space Agency's Aurora programme as a Flagship mission.
The main scientific objectives of the ExoMars mission are:
- to study the biological environment of the martian surface, and to search for possible martian life, past or present,
- to characterize the Mars geochemistry and water distribution
- to identify possible surface hazards to future human missions, and
- to improve the knowledge of the Mars environment and geophysics
Other objectives are to develop the technologies in various fields. These developments are necessary for the ExoMars mission as well as later robotic and human missions to be successful. These are:
- landing of large payloads on Mars,
- solar electric power on the surface of Mars,
- mobility on the surface of Mars
The science package Pasteur will hold a variety of instruments to study the environment of Mars. The current proposal as according to the Pasteur Progress Letter 4[2] is as follows:
These are instruments that have a panoramic and long range view, some of them underground.
- Panoramic Camera System is used for navigation and imaging the surrounding area. It consists of two wide angle stero cameras and a high resolution camera.[3]
- Infrared Spectrometer makes remote detection of water possible.
- WISDOM (Water Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observations on Mars) Ground-penetrating radar[4]
- Permittivity Probe - Search for subsurface ice and water
- Neutron scattering - Search for subsurface ice and water
- Radon Exhalation - Search for subsurface water
These instruments will be used to study the surface and rocks by direct contact.
- Close-up Imager
- Mössbauer Spectrometer the miniature Mössbauer Spectrometer, named MIMOS II of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, that was already used by the two rovers in NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.
- Drill System
These instruments are placed internally and used to study collected samples.
- Microscope will scan the samples from the drill before milling.
- Raman spectrometer/Laser induced breakdown spectrometer (Raman/LIBS)[5][6]
- Urey Instrument[7] consisting of the Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE), the Mars Organics Detector (MOD) and the Mars Oxidant Sensor (MOI).[8] and the Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis (CE).[9] - The water extracts from the soil and rock samples will contain any soluble compounds, which can be further analysed for amines and other organic molecules.
- Molecular Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) consisting of a laser desorption ion source and a GC-MS which is similar to the instruments on Rosetta and Huygens - The laser desorption ion source is capable to evaporate organic moleculs even if they are not volatile, while the GC separates the highly volatile small molecules within the gas chromatograph. The final analysis of both instruments is done with an ion trap mass spectrometer.
- Specific Molecular Identification of Life Experiment (SMILE) is a Life Marker Chip to detect biomarkers from possible past or present life. The binding of organic molecules to molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) or to antibodies is observed by of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or fluorescently labeled tracers.[10]
- X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) - Powder diffraction of X-Rays will give exact composition of the crystalline minerals.[11][12]
These are used to study the environment on Mars.
- Ionizing Radiation Sensor - To measure cosmic and solar particles
- UV Spectrometer
- Dust Instrument Suite
- Environmental Package - Meteorological study
In addition, following the April 2005 Birmingham meeting, it has been proposed that the lander carries a suite of fixed instruments dedicated to Mars internal geophysics and environment study. This "package" will measure geophysics and environment parameters, which are of first importance to understand Mars and its long term habitability. This will include monitoring seismic, tectonic and volcanic activity, as well as measuring the magnetic field, UV radiation, dust deposition, wind, and humidity. It should survive at least six years on Mars, allowing to initiate long term environment variations, and will allow to initiate a first network of scientific stations at the Mars surface.[13]
The ExoMars Mission was approved by Europe's space ministers in December 2005. As this mission is still in the early planning stages, the information here and on ESA's website is preliminary. As discussed above, the European Space Agency (ESA) has pushed back the launch of its rover mission to Mars from 2011 to 2013. The move to 2013 will allow more time for negotiating a new budget, reflecting a growing will to push for an upgrade to the ExoMars project which could raise its cost from roughly 500 m euros to 800 m euros. [1]
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This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
| Mars Spacecraft Missions | |
|---|---|
| Flybys: Mariner 4 | Mariner 6 | Mariner 7 | Mars 4 | Rosetta | |
| Orbiters: Mariner 9 | Mars 2 | Mars 3 | Mars 5 | Mars 6 | Viking 1 | Viking 2 | Phobos 2 | Mars Global Surveyor | Mars Odyssey | Mars Express Orbiter | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | |
| Landers and Rovers: Mars 3 | Viking 1 | Viking 2 | Mars Pathfinder | Spirit rover | Opportunity rover | |
| Future: Dawn (2007) | Phoenix Scout (2007) | Mars Science Laboratory (2009) | Phobos-Grunt (2009) | Mars 2011 | ExoMars (2013) | Astrobiology Field Laboratory (2016?) | |
| See also: Mars | Exploration of Mars | Colonization of Mars | |
- ^ http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/aurora_dev/aurorahome/object_136.htm
- ^ http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/Aurora/Pasteur_Newsletter_4.pdf
- ^ A. D. Griffiths, A. J. Coates, R. Jaumann, H. Michaelis, G. Paar, D. Barnes, J.-L. Josset (2006). "Context for the ESA ExoMars rover: the Panoramic Camera (PanCam) instrument". International Journal of Astrobiology 5 (3): 269–275. DOI:10.1002/jrs.1198.
- ^ Corbel C., Hamram S., Ney R., Plettemeier D., Dolon F., Jeangeot A., Ciarletti V., Berthelier J. (2006). "WISDOM: an UHF GPR on the Exomars Mission". Eos Trans. AGU 87 (52): P51D-1218.
- ^ J. Popp, M. Schmitt (2004). "Raman spectroscopy breaking terrestrial barriers!". J. Raman Spectrosc. 35: 429–432. DOI:10.1002/jrs.1198.
- ^ F. Rull Pérez, J. Martinez-Frias (2006). "Raman spectroscopy goes to Mars". spectroscopy europe 18: 18-21.
- ^ A. M. Skelley, A. D. Aubrey, P. J. Willis, X. Amashukeli, A. Ponce, P. Ehrenfreund, F. J. Grunthaner, J. L. Bada, R. A. Mathies (2006). "Detection of Trace Biomarkers in the Atacama Desert with the UREY in situ Organic Compound Analysis Instrument". Geophysical Research Abstracts 8: 05275.
- ^ A. M. Skelley, F. J. Grunthaner, J. L. Bada, R. A. Mathies. "Mars Organic Detector III: A Versatile Instrument for Detection of Bio-organic Signatures on Mars".
- ^ A. M. Skelley, J. R. Scherer, A. D. Aubrey, W. H. Grover, R. H. C. Ivester, P. Ehrenfreund, F. J. Grunthaner, J. L. Bada, R. A. Mathies (2005). "Development and evaluation of a microdevice for amino acid biomarker detection and analysis on Mars". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102: 1041-1046. DOI:10.1073/pnas.0406798102.
- ^ M.R. Sims, D.C. Cullenb N.P. Bannister W.D. Grantc O. Henryb R. Jones D. McKnight, D.P. Thompson, P.K. Wilson (2005). "The specific molecular identification of life experiment (SMILE)". Planetary and Space Science 53: 781–791. DOI:10.1016/j.pss.2005.03.006.
- ^ A. Wielders, R. Delhez (2005). "X-ray Powder Diffraction on the Red Planet". Int. Union of Crystallography Newsletter 30: 6-7.
- ^ R. Delhez, L. Marinangeli, S. van der Gaast (2005). "Mars-XRD: the X-ray Diffractometer for Rock and Soil Analysis on Mars in 2011". Int. Union of Crystallography Newsletter 30: 7-10.
- ^ P. Lognonné, T. Spohn, D. Mimoun,*, S. Ulamec, J. Biele (2006). "GEP-ExoMars: a Geophysics and Environment observatory on Mars". Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVII.