Mars Micro Orbiter

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Mars Micro Orbiter (MMO) is a spacecraft mission concept that would place a small and inexpensive satellite in orbit around the planet Mars to study some aspects of the Mars atmosphere in visible and infrared wavelengths.

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The orbiter study will undergo a preliminary design review in March 2018, potentially launching as a secondary payload on another mission in 2020.

Overview

In April 2015, NASA's Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program requested proposals for interplanetary CubeSat investigations, and received 22 submissions. [1] The MMO was not selected for launch, but in 2017 it was awarded grants [2] [3] for further technology development. [1]

In 2015, the concept considered a 6U CubeSat with potential to also serve as an orbital communication relay for Mars surface-based missions, [4] and by 2017 it had evolved to a 12U CubeSat; [5] that is about 16 kg, and measuring 20×20×30 cm. The orbiter study will undergo a preliminary design review in March 2018, [5] potentially launching as a secondary payload on another mission [5] in 2020. [2]

The Principal Investigator is Michael Malin, from Malin Space Science Systems. [4] [5]

Objectives

The MMO would study the Mars atmosphere in visible and infrared wavelengths from Mars orbit. [4] The science measurements include: [4]

See also

Atmospheric orbiters at Mars

References

  1. 1 2 NASA's Space Cubes: Small Satellites Provide Big Payoffs Archived 2019-06-17 at the Wayback Machine . Brian Dunbar NASA TV. 8 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Contract NNX17AG06G Malin Space Science Systems" . Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  3. ↑ Sampling of Recent Federal Government Funding Actions/Set Asides Archived 2018-02-26 at the Wayback Machine – Mars Micro Orbiter Mission. 7 September 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Planetary Science Division Status Report. (PDF) James L. Green. NASA, Planetary Science Division. October 20, 201520 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 NASA Mars exploration efforts turn to operating existing missions and planning sample return. Jeff Foust, SpaceNews. 23 February 2018.
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