Phobos And Deimos & Mars Environment
 PADME would be based on the successful LADEE lunar orbiter | |
| Mission type | Reconnaissance of Mars' moons |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | MCSB |
| Manufacturer | NASA Ames Research Center |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2020 (proposed)[1] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 [2][3] |
| Contractor | SpaceX (proposed) |
| Mars' moons: Phobos and Deimos orbiter | |
Phobos And Deimos & Mars Environment (PADME) is a proposed low-cost NASA Mars orbiter mission that will address longstanding unknowns about Mars' two moons Phobos and Deimos and their environment.[2][3]
PADME mission is led by Pascal Lee, and is competing for Discovery Program funding.[3] If selected, PADME would launch and reach Mars orbit in 2020 and conduct multiple flybys of its moons.[1]
Objectives
The origin and nature of Mars' satellites, which were discovered by astronomer Asaph Hall, remain unknown. PADME would advance the scientific understanding of:[1][2]
- the origin, composition, surface physics, and internal structure of Phobos and Deimos, and
- the origin, abundance, composition, and distribution of dust around Mars.
Orbiter
NASA Ames Research Center will design, develop, build, and test the PADME spacecraft, and manage mission operations. The proposal is to employ the proven Modular Common Spacecraft Bus (MCSB), previously used by the LADEE Moon orbiter.[2] Partners include the SETI Institute, University of Colorado, University of Maryland, Cornell University, Royal Observatory of Belgium and JAXA.[1]
Scientific payload
The PADME mission has three science instruments plus a radio communications system doubling as a Radio Science experiment. The orbiter would also carry a laser communication system.[2]
- Mars Moon Camera System (MMCS) is a broad-band high resolution camera. The MMCS will produce global color image maps of Phobos and Deimos at a spatial resolution of ~3.5 m/pxl. MMCS imaging would take place at ranges of order 10 km from each moon.
- Neutron Spectrometer (NS) will count epithermal and thermal neutrons at Phobos and Deimos during close flybys. The cumulative measurements at each moon will provide quantitative estimates of the abundance of hydrogen (H), and by implication water, in the topmost 1 m of Phobos and Deimos's regolith.
- Mars Orbit Dust Experiment (MODEX) is an impact-ionization type dust detector that will intercept and analyze any dust particle encountered around Mars. It would be identical to LADEE's successful Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX).
- Radio Science System (RSS) is an X-band transceiver radio that will enable high-precision measurements of Doppler shifts during close encounters of PADME with Phobos and Deimos to map their gravity field and internal density distribution.
- Mars Laser Communication Demonstration (MLCD) system similar to LADEE's LLCD experiment.
Proposed launch
If funded, PADME would launch on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket in 2020 and reach Mars seven months later, in 2021.[1]
See also
- Discovery Program
- Fobos Grunt
- Phobos program
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Pascal, Lee (2014). "Phobos And Deimos & Mars Environment (PADME): A Proposed Discovery Mission". Exploration Science Forum. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lee, Pascal; Bicay, Michael; Colapre, Anthony; Elphic, Richard (March 17–21, 2014). Phobos And Deimos & Mars Environment (PADME): A LADEE-Derived Mission to Explore Mars's Moons and the Martian Orbital Environment (PDF). 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2014).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Reyes, Tim (1 October 2014). "Making the Case for a Mission to the Martian Moon Phobos". Universe Today. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
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