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cIclops

Member

Registered: 2005-06-16

Posts: 3,230

Re: MetNet - RKA/Finnish Mars surface climate network

From MetNet homepage

A new type of atmospheric science mission to Mars (MetNet), initiated and defined by he Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), is being put together by the consortium including the FMI, the Babakin Space Center (BSC) and the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI).

The MetNet mission to Mars is based on a new type of semi-hard landing vehicle called MetNet Lander (MNL). The scope of the MetNet Mission is eventually to deploy several tens of MNLs on the Martian surface. The MNL will carry a versatile science payload focused on the atmospheric science of Mars.

The basic ideas of MetNet were cast by the FMI-team already in late 1980s. The concept was nurtured over a decade, and eventually the MetNet development work started in the year 2000.

The first step in the MetNet Mission is to have a MetNet Mars Precursor Mission (MMPM) with a few MNLs deployed to Mars. Currently the MMPM is in the process of defining the science payload and designing the landing system concept.

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RedStreak

Banned

From: Illinois

Registered: 2006-05-12

Posts: 541

Re: MetNet - RKA/Finnish Mars surface climate network

I like this concept and I earnestly hope it fans out.  Rovers and landers a good but what we need is a complete global 'picture' of Mars from the surface, namely the seismic network but obviously weather stations working in tandom help too.

NASA I fear has to handle a balancing act that favors public attention more not that it's a bad thing, but surely once in a while it can send something that isn't all TV cameras.

Says the test is in 2008 - hope we'll hear the results from this.  So Russia and Finland heading this or whom again?