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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

[http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=13988]Click

*"A recent study funded by the British National Space Centre (BNSC) aims to ... send two small spacecraft to orbit both moons, followed by a landing on one of them.

The proposed mission would not only demonstrate some impressive new developments in British space technology, but would also be conducted for a much lower cost than has hitherto been necessary for such ambitious projects.

The mission, currently known by its working 'codename' of M-PADS - Mars Phobos and Deimos Survey - will be described on Friday, 2 April 2004 by Dr. Andrew Ball (Open University), during the RAS National Astronomy Meeting in Milton Keynes."

Also:  "The latest developments in spacecraft technology allow the Open University to contemplate some very exciting, ambitious new missions," said Andrew Ball. "Although only a small mission, M-PADS would do what all of the previous, large missions have so far been unable to achieve at the Martian moons."

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

GraemeSkinner

Member

From: Eden Hall, Cumbria

Registered: 2004-02-20

Posts: 563

Website

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

I like the plan, its good to see the Open University putting time and effort into projects like this, and I hope they keep it up well into the future - but then I am studying with the OU and wish to go onto astronomy related research with them in the future so perhaps I'm biased!
16 Kg for the lander payload is quite small when you think about all the components required just to send data back - will be an interesting project to keep an eye on.

Graeme

---

There was a young lady named Bright.
Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day
in a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
--Arthur Buller--

Rxke

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2003-11-03

Posts: 3,669

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

Great! This mission, if successful, will be a great addition to our knowledge!

16kg? Sounds puny, but then again, micro-electronics for space-hardware evolved drastically, the latest years, so it might be possible...

It is projects like this that will keep the potential science-students interested in Mars, too... OU is a great 'place' to do just such kind of stuff, wish them all the luck.

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

"One spacecraft will carry instruments for remote observations of the moons and in situ measurements of their environment in Mars orbit. --->The other will carry a lander to be delivered onto the surface of either Phobos or Deimos.<---"

*I wonder what factor(s) will decide -which- moon to land on?

--Cindy 

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

GraemeSkinner

Member

From: Eden Hall, Cumbria

Registered: 2004-02-20

Posts: 563

Website

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

"One spacecraft will carry instruments for remote observations of the moons and in situ measurements of their environment in Mars orbit. --->The other will carry a lander to be delivered onto the surface of either Phobos or Deimos.<---"

*I wonder what factor(s) will decide -which- moon to land on?

Would be nice if they could land one on each, but cost and the 'lets just add this...' philosophy would probably grind the project to a halt. I don't know how you would pick which moon to visit - flip a coin?

Graeme

---

There was a young lady named Bright.
Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day
in a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
--Arthur Buller--

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

*Perhaps the results from below will decide.

Search for frozen volatiles such as water ice in their interiors.

-and-

Measure differences in surface and sub-surface properties.

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

GraemeSkinner

Member

From: Eden Hall, Cumbria

Registered: 2004-02-20

Posts: 563

Website

Re: UK Micro-Mission to Phobos & Deimos

Finding frozen volatiles would certainly be a boost to future missions, its amazing what a 16kg lander can be designed to do - I'd love to get my hands on one, perhaps just have a little look under the covers with a screwdriver, prod and poke it around a bit - but I think that might be frowned upon. Would be good to see some schematics for it though.

Graeme

---

There was a young lady named Bright.
Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day
in a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
--Arthur Buller--