NetLander

Last updated

In late 2007 (or 2009) CNES (the French Space Agency) and ESA (the European Space Agency) had planned to send a remote sensing orbiter and four small Netlanders to Mars. They planned to land them in four different locations. The CNES and ESA cancelled this mission because it was too expensive; both agencies planned to send other orbiters and landers for missions like ExoMars.

The Landers' mission was to take pictures of the landing site and explore Mars' internal surface and atmosphere. Each of the four landers was to carry instruments for the following measurements:

The Orbiter's mission was to take pictures from orbit, explore Mars' atmosphere and relay information and images from the Netlanders.

The MetNet multi-lander mission to Mars is based on the legacy of NetLander. [2] MetNet is scheduled for launches in 2011–2019. [3] The NetLander design has been examined as the basis for a small Solar System body lander, such as a comet. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mars Express</i> European Mars orbiter

Mars Express is a space exploration mission being conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Mars Express mission is exploring the planet Mars, and is the first planetary mission attempted by the agency. "Express" originally referred to the speed and efficiency with which the spacecraft was designed and built. However, "Express" also describes the spacecraft's relatively short interplanetary voyage, a result of being launched when the orbits of Earth and Mars brought them closer than they had been in about 60,000 years.

<i>Huygens</i> (spacecraft) European reconnaissance lander sent to Saturns moon Titan

Huygens was an atmospheric entry robotic space probe that landed successfully on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005. Built and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), launched by NASA, it was part of the Cassini–Huygens mission and became the first spacecraft to land on Titan and the farthest landing from Earth a spacecraft has ever made. The probe was named after the 17th-century Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Titan in 1655.

<i>Beagle 2</i> Failed Mars lander launched in 2003

The Beagle 2 is an inoperative British Mars lander that was transported by the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express mission. It was intended to conduct an astrobiology mission that would have looked for evidence of past life on Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exploration of Mars</span> Overview of the exploration of Mars

The planet Mars has been explored remotely by spacecraft. Probes sent from Earth, beginning in the late 20th century, have yielded a large increase in knowledge about the Martian system, focused primarily on understanding its geology and habitability potential. Engineering interplanetary journeys is complicated and the exploration of Mars has experienced a high failure rate, especially the early attempts. Roughly sixty percent of all spacecraft destined for Mars failed before completing their missions and some failed before their observations could begin. Some missions have been met with unexpected success, such as the twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which operated for years beyond their specification.

<i>Venus Express</i> 2005 mission to explore Venus by the European Space Agency

Venus Express (VEX) was the first Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). Launched in November 2005, it arrived at Venus in April 2006 and began continuously sending back science data from its polar orbit around Venus. Equipped with seven scientific instruments, the main objective of the mission was the long term observation of the Venusian atmosphere. The observation over such long periods of time had never been done in previous missions to Venus, and was key to a better understanding of the atmospheric dynamics. ESA concluded the mission in December 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora programme</span> ESA human spaceflight programme from 2001

The Aurora programme was a human spaceflight programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) established in 2001. The objective was to formulate and then to implement a European long-term plan for exploration of the Solar System using robotic spacecraft and human spaceflight to investigate bodies holding promise for traces of life beyond the Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ExoMars</span> Astrobiology programme

ExoMars is an astrobiology programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian space agency (Roscosmos).

Odin is a Swedish satellite working in two disciplines: astrophysics and aeronomy, and it was named after Odin of Norse mythology. Within the field of astrophysics, Odin was used until the spring of 2007 aiding in the study of star formation. Odin is still used for aeronomical observations, including exploration of the depletion of the ozone layer and effects of global warming. In February 2019 it celebrated 18 years in Earth orbit, and was still functioning nominally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venera-D</span> Proposed Russian lander to Venus

Venera-D is a proposed Russian space mission to Venus that would include an orbiter and a lander to be launched in 2029. The orbiter's prime objective is to perform observations with the use of a radar. The lander, based on the Venera design, would be capable of operating for a long duration on the planet's surface. The "D" in Venera-D stands for "dolgozhivuschaya," which means "long lasting" in Russian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars landing</span> Landing of a spacecraft on the surface of Mars

A Mars landing is a landing of a spacecraft on the surface of Mars. Of multiple attempted Mars landings by robotic, uncrewed spacecraft, ten have had successful soft landings. There have also been studies for a possible human mission to Mars including a landing, but none have been attempted. Soviet Union’s Mars 3, which landed in 1971, was the first successful Mars landing. As of 2023, the Soviet Union, United States and China have conducted Mars landings successfully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars MetNet</span> Planned science mission to Mars featuring semi-hard landing strategy

Mars MetNet is a planned atmospheric science mission to Mars, initiated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and under development by Finland, Russia and Spain. By September 2013, two flight-capable entry, descent and landing systems (EDLS) have been manufactured and tested. As of 2015 baseline funding exists until 2020. As of 2016, neither the launch vehicle nor precursory launch date have been set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trace Gas Orbiter</span> Mars orbiter, part of ExoMars programme

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is a collaborative project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Roscosmos agency that sent an atmospheric research orbiter and the Schiaparelli demonstration lander to Mars in 2016 as part of the European-led ExoMars programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars Exploration Joint Initiative</span>

The Mars Exploration Joint Initiative (MEJI) is an agreement signed between United States' space agency, NASA, and Europe's space agency, ESA to join resources and expertise in order to continue the exploration of the planet Mars. The agreement was signed in Washington D.C. in October 2009, between NASA administrator Charles Bolden and ESA director-general Jean-Jacques Dordain.

Rosalind Franklin, previously known as the ExoMars rover, is a planned robotic Mars rover, part of the international ExoMars programme led by the European Space Agency and the Russian Roscosmos State Corporation. The mission was scheduled to launch in July 2020, but was postponed to 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused an indefinite delay of the programme, as the member states of the ESA voted to suspend the joint mission with Russia; in July 2022, ESA terminated its cooperation on the project with Russia. As of May 2022, the launch of the rover is not expected to occur before 2028 due to the need for a new non-Russian landing platform.

<i>Schiaparelli</i> EDM Mars landing demonstration system

Schiaparelli EDM was a failed Entry, Descent, and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) of the ExoMars programme—a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos. It was built in Italy and was intended to test technology for future soft landings on the surface of Mars. It also had a limited but focused science payload that would have measured atmospheric electricity on Mars and local meteorological conditions.

<i>Kazachok</i> A planned Mars lander, part of ExoMars programme

The ExoMars Kazachok was a planned robotic Mars lander led by Roscosmos, part of the ExoMars 2022 joint mission with the European Space Agency. Kazachok translates as "Little Cossack", and is also the name of an East Slavic folk dance.

The Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) is a science payload consisting of three infrared spectrometer channels aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) orbiting Mars since October 2016. The three channels are: the near-infrared channel (NIR), the mid-infrared channel (MIR), and the far infrared channel.

Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) is a 3-channel spectrometer on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) launched to Mars orbit on 14 March 2016.

References

  1. Counil, J. L.; Ferri, F.; Lognonne, Ph.; Marsal, O.; Rocard, F.; Bonneville, R. (2001). The Netlander Mission: A Geophysical Network aimed at investigating Mars Atmosphere, Sub-Surface and Deep Interior (PDF). Conference on the Geophysical Detection of Subsurface Water on Mars. Houston.
  2. MetNet The New Generation of Atmospheric Observation for Mars (PDF). European Planetary Science Congress. 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  3. "MetNet Mars Mission". Finnish Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  4. Ulamec & Biele – From the Rosetta Lander Philae to an Asteroid Hipper: Lander concepts for small bodies missions

See also