Available online
Description
What the lander is: Entry descent and landing module of this phase of the ExoMars programme. ESA’s first successful landing on the surface of Mars. Five-foot wide circular platform carrying meteo...rological instruments. Lifetime of approximately a week on the surface. What the instruments are: COMARS+ is a sensor suite detecting pressure, temperature and heat flux on Schiaparelli rear cover, recording information during descent. DREAMS (Dust characterisation, Risk assessment and Environmental Analyser on the Martian Surface) science package: MetWIND – detecting wind speed and direction; DREAMS-H – humidity sensor; DREAMS-P – pressure sensor; MarsTem – surface-level atmospheric temperature; SIS – Solar Irradiance Sensor, dust opacity and UV radiation; MicroARES – near-surface atmospheric electric fields The science it will be doing: Meteorological detections on the surface: temperature, pressure, wind speed and atmospheric dust levels. Electric field measurements of the near-surface environment – first time a surface mission has ever had this ability. AMELIA (Atmospheric Mars Entry and Landing Investigation and Analysis) project will use data taken during descent to reconstruct the module’s trajectory. Vertical profiles of atmospheric conditions (density, wind speed, temperature) can be reconstructed, from a higher altitude than ever before, down to the surface. Schiaparelli is landing during the summer and the annual dust storm season, giving us an unprecedented view into the Martian atmosphere at this time. How we’ll use the information we get back: To improve our overall understanding of the Martian environment. Atmospheric data and profiles help us plan future missions that will descend to the surface. Better/new data from the surface helps us compare the Martian climate across different regions of the planet and through different seasons. We can compare the data we get back against our current computer models, and then hopefully improve the models; which allows us to make a better forecast of the weather next time we go. That it is part of a bigger programme, leading up to the ExoMars 2020 rover: Schiaparelli is testing the landing technology for the next stage of the ExoMars mission.
What the lander is: Entry descent and landing module of this phase of the ExoMars programme. ESA’s first successful landing on the surface of Mars. Five-foot wide circular platform carrying meteo...rological instruments. Lifetime of approximately a week on the surface. What the instruments are: COMARS+ is a sensor suite detecting pressure, temperature and heat flux on Schiaparelli rear cover, recording information during descent. DREAMS (Dust characterisation, Risk assessment and Environmental Analyser on the Martian Surface) science package: MetWIND – detecting wind speed and direction; DREAMS-H – humidity sensor; DREAMS-P – pressure sensor; MarsTem – surface-level atmospheric temperature; SIS – Solar Irradiance Sensor, dust opacity and UV radiation; MicroARES – near-surface atmospheric electric fields The science it will be doing: Meteorological detections on the surface: temperature, pressure, wind speed and atmospheric dust levels. Electric field measurements of the near-surface environment – first time a surface mission has ever had this ability. AMELIA (Atmospheric Mars Entry and Landing Investigation and Analysis) project will use data taken during descent to reconstruct the module’s trajectory. Vertical profiles of atmospheric conditions (density, wind speed, temperature) can be reconstructed, from a higher altitude than ever before, down to the surface. Schiaparelli is landing during the summer and the annual dust storm season, giving us an unprecedented view into the Martian atmosphere at this time. How we’ll use the information we get back: To improve our overall understanding of the Martian environment. Atmospheric data and profiles help us plan future missions that will descend to the surface. Better/new data from the surface helps us compare the Martian climate across different regions of the planet and through different seasons. We can compare the data we get back against our current computer models, and then hopefully improve the models; which allows us to make a better forecast of the weather next time we go. That it is part of a bigger programme, leading up to the ExoMars 2020 rover: Schiaparelli is testing the landing technology for the next stage of the ExoMars mission.
| Series: | ExoMars Mission special |
|---|---|
| Episode | 4 |
| Recording date: | 21-10-2016 |
| Published: | 2016 |
| Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
| Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all Digital Archive web pages. |
| Duration: | 00:19:40 |
| + Show more... | |
| Presenter: | Karen Foley |
| Contributor: | Rhian Chapman |
| Publisher: | The Open University |
| Link to related site: | Internal url: http://studenthublive.open.ac.uk/abstract/lander-rhian-chapman?event=ExoMars%20Mission%20special |
| Production number: | SHL00095 |
| Available to public: | yes |
