mars: sources of data from the robotic missions iv

C.M. Rodrigue, 2018Geography, CSULB

Mars: Sources of Data from the Robotic Missions IV

Geography 441/541S/18

Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• European Space Agency Mars Express Orbiter (2003-present)

□ Main objective is to search for sub-surface water from orbit and deploy a lander onto the Martian surface

□ Beagle 2 lander lost on landing in late 2003: It was to look for life signs– (found by MRO HiRISE [2013, 2014] – not a crash: antenna failed)


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions

• ESA Mars Express Orbiter (2003-present)– Orbiter instrumentation:

_ Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3)_ High/Super Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HSRS)_ Radio Science Experiment (MaRS)_ Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (MARSIS)_ IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA)_ Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS)_ UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM)




• Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) High/Super Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HSRS)

_ Originally developed for the Russian Mars 96 mission: The duplicate, since upgraded

_ 9 CCD line sensors in pushbroom swaths_ Each of these arrays has 5184 7 micron pixels (10 m on ground)_ Super Resolution Channel telescope with 1024 x 1032 CCD array that

results in 2.3 m pixels on the ground_ Multispectral visible light to near infrared imaging plus panchromatic

imaging by the forward and aft line sensors Radio Science Experiment (MaRS) Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (MARSIS) IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA) Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM)


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• ESA High Resolution Stereo Colour imager

– New topographic maps• Contour lines: “first ‘hikers’ maps’ of Mars”! Here’s 1:200,000



– New topographic maps• Contour lines: “first ‘hikers’ maps’ of Mars”! Here’s 1:100,000



– New topographic maps• Contour lines: “first ‘hikers’ maps’ of Mars”! And 1:50,000



– Animations based on HRSC and DEMs• Becquerel Crater in northern Arabia Terra and its sulfur-rich

sedimentary beds




• Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3)• High/Super Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HSRS)• Radio Science Experiment (MaRS) Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (MARSIS)

_ Ground-penetrating radar (1.3-5.5 MHz) _ Deployed from end of 40 m antenna to generate long wl_ Radio waves reflect back upward from any surface

discontinuity: surface itself, liquid layers underground IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA) Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM)


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• ESA MARSIS

– The idea behind ground-penetrating radar, which concept you met with MRO's SHARAD



– Has found crater basin structures buried in Chryse Planitia



– Has found crater basin structures buried in Chryse – dark ovals




• Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3)• High/Super Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HSRS)• Radio Science Experiment (MaRS)• Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (MARSIS) IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA)

_ Building map of surface composition in 100 m squares_ Determines mineral composition through reflected VL & IR (0.5-

5.2 microns)_ Because reflected surface light must pass through atmosphere,

OMEGA can also infer atmospheric composition• Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS)• UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM)


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• ESA IR Mineralogical

Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA)– Building map of surface

composition in 100 m squares• One focus is water-related/water-

affected minerals_ Water content of the rocks and

clay minerals (Mawrth Vallis)_ Abundance of non-silicate

materials (carbonates, nitrates, hydrated sulfates), which imply standing water or water alteration (kieserite or hydrated magnesium sulfate in Candor Chasma, Valles Marineris)



• ESA IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA)– Building map of surface composition in 100 m squares

• Another focus is the carbon dioxide/water composition of the caps_ Water does not absorb ~2 microns, and carbon dioxide does_ South polar cap shows absorption at 2, implying CO2 (A & B)_ Spectrum C shows absorption where A & B don’t ~1.5 microns,

indicating more water ice in the mix there




• Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3)• High/Super Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HSRS)• Radio Science Experiment (MaRS)• Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (MARSIS)• IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA) Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS)

_ Another spectrometer, overlapping part of OMEGA’s spectrum but also including spectra far deeper into the infrared: 1.2-5 microns and then 5-45 microns

_ This spectrometer focusses more on the atmosphere’s temperature and composition, rather than the surface

• UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM)


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• ESA Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS)

– Vertical temperature structure of Martian atmosphere



– Optical thickness of Martian atmospheric dust (with surface elevation below the reading also shown)



– Water vapor abundance• Concentrated in Arabia Terra, Elysium Planum, Arcadia, Memnonia



• ESA Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS)– Detection of methane (CH4): the little down blips in the black line

~3018 wave#/cm (red line is reference spectrum for methane)_ There are also 3 water lines at 3003.5, 3022, and 3026_ There are 2 solar lines at 3012 and 3014_ Methane (and formaldehyde or CH2O) may indicate either life or recent

volcanism, either of which would be really interesting news




• Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3)• High/Super Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HSRS)• Radio Science Experiment (MaRS)• Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (MARSIS)• IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA)• Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM)

_ Yet another spectrometer, this one collecting spectra in the UV as well as the IR to study atmosphere and ionosphere

_ 0.118 - 0.32 in the ultraviolet_ 1.1 - 1.7 in the serial infrared (what wireless devices use)


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• ESA Mars Express Orbiter (2003-present)

UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM):_ Has detected an aurora on Mars for the first time, in the Terra

Cimmeria region of Mars' southern hemisphere _ This is one of the localized and intense magnetic anomalies, what’s

left of Mars’ global magnetic field


Mars: Data from Robotic Missions• ESA Mars Express Orbiter (2003-present)

UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM):• Has detected ozone, especially above the higher latitudes



• ESA Mars Express Orbiter (2003-present) UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM):

• Has confirmed what was long suspected: There is water ice on the south polar cap_ Could be a large slab under the CO2 ice visible through “Swiss

cheese” holes in the CO2 ice



• ESA Rosetta Mission – To orbit Comet 67 P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko as it comes into

the inner solar system and put a lander on its surface_ Carried the OSIRIS camera system (wide angle and narrow angle)_ Did a gravity-assist swing-by Mars on 25 February 2014_ Dropped Philæ lander which got a lot of data before dying of shade_ Orbiter completed its mission 9/30/16 and was crashed into comet

mars: sources of data from the robotic missions iv

Documents

robotic missionsesa

russian mars

hikers maps of mars

sources of data

analyser of space plasmas

energetic atoms aspera

presentorbiter instrumentation

surface discontinuity