MICRO-MARS, A SMALL ORBITER AND LANDER TO PLANET MARS

The proposed Micro-Mars Mission can contribute substantially to the international Mars exploration programme within the framework of a future low cost mission. The Micro-Mars Mission concept consists of an orbiter integrating a total scientific payload of 30 kg to investigate Mars including a light-weight lander of 15 kg. The spacecraft will be launched in 2007 as piggyback payload by an Ariane 5 ASAP into GTO with a total launch mass of 360 kg. It will use a bipropellant propulsion system with 210 kg of fuel and four thrusters of 22 N and four of 10 N for orbit and attitude control. Further attitude actuation shall be performed by three reaction wheels and a gyropackage, a star sensor and a sun sensor for attitude sensing. Communication will be performed in S-band and X-band to earth and in UHF-band between orbiter and lander. The orbiter will be designed as multipurpose platform, allowing the utilisation for missions to other planets to reduce development cost. The Mars orbit is highly elliptical with a periapsis below 200 km to enable high-resolution remote sensing. The payload is based on scientific needs for highresolution remote sensing from orbit by taking into account future mission plans in order to avoid overlaps. A major goal is the investigation of surface material and small-scale geologic processes by imaging which is also needed for the detailed characterisation of landing sites and the preparation of future missions. These observations will be complemented by detailed measurements of the magnetic field, the gravity field, the radiation environment as well as atmospheric and ionospheric studies from orbit. The light-weight micro lander is a very challenging task in the area of micro technology and a technological experiment by itself. It is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments which will supplement the orbiter measurements and concentrate on the environment (temperature cycle, atmosphere, magnetosphere and radiation).