Open AccessDeep Space 2: The Mars Microprobe Mission
Author(s) -
Smrekar Suzanne,
Catling David,
Lorenz Ralph,
Magalhães Julio,
Moersch Jeffrey,
Morgan Paul,
Murray Bruce,
Presley Marsha,
Yen Albert,
Zent Aaron,
Blaney Diana
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/1999je001073
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , regolith , payload (computing) , astrobiology , martian , spacecraft , exploration of mars , mars landing , terrain , impact crater , aerospace engineering , geology , planetary science , remote sensing , environmental science , physics , engineering , computer science , geography , computer network , cartography , network packet
The Mars Microprobe Mission will be the second of the New Millennium Program's technology development missions to planetary bodies. The mission consists of two penetrators that weigh 2.4 kg each and are being carried as a piggyback payload on the Mars Polar Lander cruise ring. The spacecraft arrive at Mars on December 3, 1999. The two identical penetrators will impact the surface at ∼190 m/s and penetrate up to 0.6 m. They will land within 1 to 10 km of each other and ∼50 km from the Polar Lander on the south polar layered terrain. The primary objective of the mission is to demonstrate technologies that will enable future science missions and, in particular, network science missions. A secondary goal is to acquire science data. A subsurface evolved water experiment and a thermal conductivity experiment will estimate the water content and thermal properties of the regolith. The atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature will be derived using descent deceleration data. Impact accelerometer data will be used to determine the depth of penetration, the hardness of the regolith, and the presence or absence of 10 cm scale layers.