Computer Science – Sound
Scientific paper
Dec 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agufm.p13c..01c&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #P13C-01
Computer Science
Sound
6225 Mars
Scientific paper
The ESA Mars Express mission was successfully launched on 02 June 2003 from Baikonur, Kazakh-stan, onboard a Russian Soyuz rocket with a Fregat upper stage. The mission comprises an orbiter space-craft, which has been placed in a polar martian orbit, and the small Beagle-2 lander, due to land in Isidis Planitia but whose fate remains unknown. In addition to global studies of the surface, subsurface and at-mosphere of Mars, with an unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution, the unifying theme of the mis-sion is the search for water in its various states everywhere on the planet. Following the Mars Express spacecraft commissioning in January 2004, most experiments onboard be-gan their own calibration and testing phase already acquiring scientific data. This phase lasted until June 2004 when all the instruments started their routine operations. The MARSIS radar antennas, however, were deployed in May-June 2005, following comprehensive simulations of boom deployment and mitiga-tion of potential risks, to benefit from nightime conditions required for subsurface sounding before the pericentre natural drift in latitude, when illumination conditions become favourable to the other instru-ments. Initial science results are summarised below. The High-Resolution Stereo Colour Imager (HRSC) has shown breathtaking views of the planet, in particular of karstic regions near the Valles Marineris canyon (pointing to liquid water as the erosional agent responsible for modifying tectonic and impact features in the area) and of several large volcanoes (Olympus Mons caldera and glaciation features surrounding Hecates Tholus). The IR Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer (OMEGA) has provided unprecedented maps of water ice and CO2 ice occurrence in the South pole, showing where the two ices mix and where they do not. The Planetary Fourier Spec-trometer (PFS) has confirmed the presence of methane for the first time, which would indicate current volcanic activity and/or biological processes. The UV and IR Atmospheric Spectrometer (SPICAM) has provided the first complete vertical profile of CO2 density and temperature, and has simultaneously meas-ured the distribution of water vapour and ozone. The Energetic Neutral Atoms Analyser (ASPERA) has identified the solar wind interaction with the upper atmosphere and has measured the properties of the planetary wind in the Mars tail. The Radio Science Experiment (MaRS) has studied for the first time the surface roughness by pointing the spacecraft high-gain antenna to the Martian surface, which reflects the signal before sending it to Earth. Also, the martian interior has been probed by studying the gravity anomalies affecting the orbit due to mass variations of the crust. Finally, preliminary results of the subsur-face sounding radar (MARSIS) indicate strong echoes coming from the surface but lack of echoes under the young smooth Northern plains, which may indicate the presence of thick and homogeneous plains deposits. Water is the unifying theme of the mission to be studied by all instruments using different techniques. Mars Express is already hinting at a quantum leap in our understanding of the planet's geological evolu-tion, to be complemented by the ground truth being provided by the American MER rovers. The nominal lifetime of the orbiter spacecraft is of one Martian year (687 days), potentially to be ex-tended by another Martian year to complete global coverage and observe all seasons twice. Mars Express is the first European mission to another planet.
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