Mars Science Research AT ESA

The ESA Science community at ESAC and ESTEC works collectively on various international research projects related to planet Mars, taking advantage of the sinergies between Mars Express, ExoMars and other missions. Current activities cover a wide range of scientific topics from Martial geology (interior, subsurface and surface), Martian atmosphere (clouds, dust storms, trace gases, ionosphere, ...), interaction of the Martian magnetosphere with the Solar wind and finally both Martian moons (Phobos and Deimos).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

The main goal is to support the international Mars science community through research collaborations with various external institutions, in support of the current missions and preparations for future missions to Mars, led by ESA and/or other international agencies (NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, CNSA, ...).

Various international collaborations and research projects include:

 - Coordination between Mars-Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (BIRA, Latmos, IKI, ISSI, DLR, etc..) 

 - VMC Scientific and Technical Exploitation (EHU-UPV, MADPS Bern)

 - MARSIS High Level Data processing (EPFL, INAF)

 - SPICAM High Level Data processing (LATMOS)

 - ASPERA High Level Data processing (IRF)

 - Mars dust storm wind measurements from ground telescopes (VLT, CARMENES, IA, IAA, ...)

 - Mars ionospheric and magnetospheric studies in comparison with other solar system bodies (Leicester Univ., ...)

 - Phobos landing site working group and moon lander mission studies (George Mason Univ., ...)

 - ASPERA-MARSIS active plasma sounding research (in preparation)

 - Mars Radio Science occultation studies (in preparation)

 - Coordination with ExoMars Rover Surface Platfom (in preparation)

 - ...

International Workshops:

 - From Mars Express to ExoMars Science Workshop, 27-28 February 2018 at ESAC, Madrid, in collaboration with UPWARDS H2020 project

 - Planet Mars V, 3-8 May 2020, Les Houches, Ecole de Physique, France

 

The ESA Mars science community takes advantage of the synergies between the Science Operations, Project Science and Research communities at ESAC and ESTEC, including the following:

This page is maintained by Alejandro Cardesin (ESAC) and Elliot Sefton-Nash (ESTEC).

Please contact us for any question regarding Mars research at both sites.