Fachbereich 14 - Geowissenschaften
Institut für Planetologie
Experimentelle Weltraumforschung

NETLANDER - A Network Mission to Mars

Simultaneous measurements collected by a network of landers spread over the surface of Mars will provide a unique leap forward in our knowledge of Mars. This is the objective of the NetLander (for Network Lander) project developed by CNES (French Space Agency) and IfP (Institute für Planetologie - Münster) in cooperation with a number of institutes in Europe and in the United States. The NetLander mission will deploy four identical landers on the surface of Mars. Each lander includes a scientific payload with instrumentation aimed at studying the interior of Mars, the atmosphere, the sub-surface, as well as the ionospheric structure and geodesy. The European NetLander mission is planned to be launched in 2009. After a cruise phase lasting several months, the NetLander probes will be separated from the orbiter and targeted to their landing sites. Its Entry, Descent and Landing System uses a front-shield, parachutes and air-bags. On the surface of Mars, NetLander will use solar arrays and batteries for its power supply. Particular attention is paid to the definition of this power supply system, which should provide enough energy throughout the mission, with a duration objective of one Martian year. Telecommunications will be possible via data relay satellites in orbit around Mars.

The IfP contribution consists of the Lander platform, or the lander proper, its thermal design, and the instrument package SPICE described seperately. IfP works together with the DLR Institute for Structural Mechanics, Braunschweig and a consortium of industrial partners. The project is funded by DLR, the German Space Research Agency acting on behalf of the German Research Minister.

The German NetLander Consortium has successfully completed the phase A and is near the end of a successful phase B study. Two breadboard models will be tested for thermal and mechanical behaviour in 2003.

Projektdauer:

1999 - 2003

Drittmittelgeber:

Bundesminister für Forschung und Technologie

Beteiligte Wissenschaftler:

Prof. Dr. Tilman Spohn, Dr. Karsten Seiferlin, Ing. Riccardo Nadalini

Veröffentlichungen:

MARSAL. O., M. VENET, J.-L. COUNIL, F. FERRI, A.-M. HARRI, T. SPOHN, and J. BLOCK. 2002: The Netlander geophysical network on the surface of Mars: General mission description and technical design status. Acta Astronautica, 51, 379-386.