MARSNET surface and atmosphere investigations

Following an ESA preliminary study on the possible areas of European participation in the future international exploration of Mars and a recent ESA in-depth scientific and technical assessment study, MARSNET was selected for further phase-A studies as a potential European contribution to such exploration. The MARSNET mission consists of a network of small stations to be landed on the surface of Mars. All surface stations will have identical design and payload, and will be located several thousand km apart from each other. The required operational lifetime on the surface of Mars for all landers is one Martian year (687 days) to carry out long-term meteorological and seismological measurements. The availability of a data relay orbiter at low altitude is assumed. The instruments are mounted on a platform under the semi-hard lander solar array. The main scientific goals of the mission during the atmospheric descent and on the surface are outlined.