Advanced Environmental Package (AEP+) – looking at the weather on Mars

UK Institutes: Oxford University, Open University

Contact Simon Calcutt, calcutt@atm.ox.ac.uk , John Zarnecki, j.c.zarnecki@open.ac.uk Tel. +44 (0)1908 659599 Mobile: +44 (0)778 9900099
The investigation and understanding of the Martian surface environment is crucial for a number of reasons: Firstly, it determines the habitability of the Martian surface, for microbial life as well as for future human explorers. Secondly, the near-surface environment governs the exchange of heat, dust and water between the planetary surface and atmosphere and thus holds the key to unravelling current atmospheric processes as well as climate evolution. Thirdly, a better understanding of the surface environment in general, and turbulence and dust processes in particular, will be necessary for safe landing and operation of any future missions.
The AEP+ package, already selected by ESA for inclusion in the ExoMars mission, will measure atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, as well as wind speed and direction, dust momentum and optical depth. The AEP+ package will be led jointly by the Open University and Oxford University, drawing on their extensive experience in Mars meteorological instrumentation from the Beagle 2 Environmental Sensor Suite (ESS) as well as designs for the (now cancelled) NetLander ATMospheric Instrument Suite (ATMIS) and other missions. The proposed instrument suite has a modular design making it robust and flexible, minimising sensitivity to programmatic and technical risk. The sensor suite will be based on improved variants of instruments already deployed on previous missions resulting in a powerful yet resource-efficient instrument package.
This experiment will help characterise the Martian environment and provide answers to the following:

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  What's the weather like at the ExoMars landing site?
  
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  Could any living organisms survive in this environment?
  
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  How are global dust storms started?
  
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  How and where is water to be found on the planet?
  
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  How turbulent is the atmosphere of Mars?
  

Oxford University has a PPARC grant for evaluating prototype wind sensors, and to upgrade their Mars wind tunnel.

UK Institutes: Open University, SSTL

Contact John Zarnecki, j.c.zarnecki@open.ac.uk Tel. +44 (0)1908 659599 Mobile: +44 (0)778 9900099
The OU are currently working on a one year ESA contract to develop the prototype, and will shortly start work on a PPARC grant (in conjunction with the Space Optics Group at SSTL) to develop the front end fibre-optic interface.
Ultraviolet (UV) and Visible (VIS) radiation play an important role in planetary environments, ranging from the photochemistry of upper atmospheres to the study of astrobiology. Visible light is required for photosynthesis, whilst UV can be extremely damaging to biological structures. The accurate determination of the solar UV/VIS flux reaching the surface of Mars is addressed by this proposal through the design, development and delivery of a space-qualified spectroscopic instrument for ExoMars.
The UV flux reaching the Martian surface has never before been directly measured. This instrument aims to achieve for the first time, high resolution spectra of the UV and visible flux present at the Martian surface.
The UV-VIS spectrometer (UVIS) is a miniature high-resolution spectroscopic instrument designed for inclusion on a Martian lander to address these unresolved issues. With extremely low mass and low power requirements (<300 g and <100 mW respectively), it provides an ideal candidate for any Martian science payload, giving a very significant science return in the form of a spectrum covering the UV and visible spectrum (200-650nm) at high resolution (1-2 nm).
Panoramic Camera – our eyes on Mars

Institutes: UCL, UWA, UCL/Birkbeck, University of Leicester, University of Surrey.

Contact Andrew Coates, ajc@mssl.ucl.ac.uk, Tel 01483 204145
This wide-angle panoramic camera (PanCam) is an essential element of the ExoMars Rover, led by UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory (Andrew Coates, Andrew Griffiths). PanCam images will set the context for the ExoMars life detection experiments. As well as mapping, in 3D, the rover's immediate surroundings it will look at the distant scene to identify future targets of interest. PanCam will observe the drilling activities, look at rock layering, structure and composition, and examine the rover's traverse for newly exposed material. It will also look for any macroscopic evidence for biological activity.
The wide-angle camera is a stereo pair based on Beagle heritage. Just like our eyes, it senses depth and shape on the surface using 'machine vision' techniques, and spectral information gives geology (composition) and atmospheric information. PanCam will make the vital three dimensional models of the rover's surroundings. The PPARC R&D investment will allow explore if hyperspectral techniques (imaging over a range of wavelengths from 400-1000nm visible and near infrared) could replace fixed filters. Possible terrestrial uses of the technology include hostile environment robotics, e.g. the nuclear industry and bomb disposal.
Using attenuation of sunlight near sunrise and sunset, PanCam will measure the height profile of water vapour in the atmosphere. This water vapour is then blown away by the solar wind at the top of the atmosphere as Mars lacks a global magnetic field. Over billions of years, Mars dehydrates.
The High Resolution Camera part of PanCam (DLR, Germany provided) gives complementary images, effectively a zoom lens for detailed imagery of interesting targets and for high resolution panoramas.
PanCam images will be used for planning the rover's route across the Martian surface, in particular scientific site selection. Panoramas will be taken to examine the geology at each stopping point.
Major international collaborators are DLR, Joanneum Research (Austria), and Space X (Switzerland) and the Science Team includes a wider international team.
Robust EDLS (Entry, Descent and Landing Systems)

Institutions: LogicaCMG, Vorticity Ltd, Fluid Gravity, SSTL, University of Manchester, Open University, INSYS, Analyticon, University of Dundee

Contact: Andrew Hide, LogicaCMG, Email: andrew.hide@logicacmg.com Tel +44 7866 560239
A team led by LogicaCMG is developing technology aimed at ensuring a successful landing for ExoMars. The team combines the essential expertise to address the most critical phase of the ExoMars mission; the deceleration from hypersonic velocities at the top of the Martian atmosphere to a soft landing on the surface. This works builds on a successful track record with the Huygen’s probe which landed on Titan in January 2005.
The PPARC R&D investment will produce improved models of the Martian atmosphere and develop novel ways to determine location and speed during the descent through the atmosphere.

The research will focus on:

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  Entry point accuracy determination
  
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  Entry & Descent error propagation analysis
  
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  Transverse Velocity determination towards the end of the landing phase
  

Institution: Vorticity Ltd

Parachutes are an essential part of the ExoMars EDLS.

Institution: Imperial College London

Institution: Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, British Geological Survey, University of Leicester,

Contact: Professor Steven Schwartz, Tel +44 20 7594 7660 s.schwartz@imperial.ac.uk
The magnetometer will make the first localised surface measurements of Mar’s magnetic field. Mars does not have a magnetic dynamo generating a field that protects the planets atmosphere from the solar wind, though it is thought to have had one in the past. Understanding what happened to the dynamo is key to the history of Mars. The magnetometer will contribute to our understanding of Martian history, study how the solar wind interacts with the planet’s atmosphere and characterise the environment for future missions. It will also add to our knowledge of re-surfacing effects on Mars (impacts, volcanoes, tectonics) as they have a effect on the magnetic surface field.
UK groups are working on pre-flight calibration, on-board software and scientific modelling.
Raman/LIBS spectrometer

Institution: Brunel University, CCLRC RAL, e2V, Bradford University

Raman spectroscopy has been demonstrated to be a viable non-destructive technique for the analytical interrogation of geological scenarios for life-detection signatures based on the presence of characteristic biochemicals produced by extremophilic organisms for their survival in hostile environments. Several advantages of Raman spectroscopic techniques for the molecular characterisation of extremophiles are easily translatable from terrestrial to extraterrestrial applications including an extended wavenumber range that covers signatures from both organic and inorganic molecular species and the identification of biogeological modifications and relict biomolecules present in the host geological matrices. In the ExoMars programme, this instrument will be seeking to record signatures of any organic materials and biomolecules that may be present.

Institution: University of Wales Aberystwyth