Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

What happens when the life of a spacecraft expires? Well, it would be nice to come up with a replacement plan.

NASA is going to send a small aircraft to Mars. He will be able to replace outdated equipment and get more amazing scientific images and data from the Red Planet, which will improve the chances of a successful human mission in the 2030s.

They have not yet approved the financing, so the next unit (Next Mars Orbiter - NeMO) is only conceptual work. In July, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, received 5 subcontracts worth $ 400,000 for research from 5 companies. But what exactly will the scientific task of the apparatus?

Again to Mars? What for?

Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

The vast Martian valley of Mariner, filmed by NASA.

While some claim that Mars have been well studied, there are still reasons for re-sending the orbiter. The main problem of all mechanisms is that sooner or later they age and break down. Now we own a reliable network of vehicles in orbit, but they are not durable. And we still need to find out how much water is on the surface and near it, and whether conditions will be suitable for the arrival of people.

Telecommunication Issues

Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (depicted in the artist's interpretation) relays data from the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers. Been there since 2006.

It makes no sense to lower the rover to the surface if there is no connection with Earth. Therefore, the orbiter of 2022 will make a vital technological step in assisting data transfer. The rover’s abilities are limited, so the information first enters the spacecraft located in the Martian orbit, and then to the earth receiving point. But all the equipment is aging. Mars Odyssey arrived in 2001. Although the new MAVEN (tracks the evolution of the atmosphere and volatile substances) has been in place since 2014, it is still worth stocking up with a backup.

Ice probing

Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

Composite image of the north pole of Mars and its ice cap, made by one of the Viking orbiters.

One of the scientific tasks is to understand what kinds of shallow deposits of underground ice can be found on the Red Planet and how they change over a long period.

This knowledge will help future human missions in using local water for growing plants. Water is a key resource that would help to master the planet and simplify life support and the development of rocket fuel for ground operations.

Testing Solar Electric Engines

Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

The future spacecraft will be able to use solar energy, as is the case with the ship Rassvet, who visited Vesta and Ceres (artistic interpretation).

Because space travel is expensive, engineers are always looking for cheaper alternatives. One possibility is Martian gas. Instead of traditional rocket fuel, NASA is planning to use solar energy.

The engine processes the electricity created by solar panels. Then it ionizes the xenon atoms, and pushes the ship. But it will take more time on the road. The NEX-SAG group assumes that this method will increase the amount of mass and power available to other tools. Another advantage is the ability to capture towing asteroids in the future. Of course, it is better to test this feature before trying to drag a huge cosmic rock.

More information and the possibility of settling

Next Martian orbiter is planned for 2022

Slope in Raga crater. Demonstrated the ability of salt water, which disappears and appears every year. Scientists study them to mark changes. Shot with a HiRISE camera.

In 2015, NASA announced that salt water was flowing across Martian soil. Considering repetitive slope, they found evidence of hydrated salts — a sign of liquid water. The problem with surveillance is that the camera flies over them at 3 in the morning or at 15:00. And this is the average solar time. Researchers believe that groundwater appears in the middle of the morning, or early in the afternoon.

There are other topics of interest to scientists. For example, how the atmosphere transports the material or when serious environmental transitions have occurred. It is likely that these tasks will also fall on the shoulders of the future apparatus, which will help to better understand the past, present and future climate of the planet.

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