The samples that we analyse in the laboratory and the places that we are able to send spacecraft experiments to comprise a vast range of different environments compared to those encountered at the surface of the Earth. Examples of the extremes encountered include pressure, atmospheric composition, gravity, temperature and electromagnetic radiation. In order to understand the processes occurring on different planets (e.g. Mars, Mercury, Titan, etc) and small bodies (asteroids and comets) and to assess and optimise the performance of spacecraft instrumentation it is necessary to accurately re-create and control these environments.
PSSRI has a wide range of different chambers where we can re-create other planets, including:
- Mars surface simulation chamber
- Airless body surface simulation
