Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #24:Phoenix Mars Polar Lander  (PHOENIX)

Outline
Canada Contributes Weather Instruments for the Phoenix Mission to Mars Diane V. Michelangeli Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science York University Phoenix will land on Mars in May 2008 with several instruments on board to study the history of water on the planet in all its phases. It will use paleo-hydrological, geological, chemical, and meteorological methods. It is the first NASA Scout mission to Mars. Led by Professor Peter Smith from the University of Arizona in Tucson, it was selected in August 2003 in a competition against many strong projects. Logo of the Phoenix Mission, created by Isabelle Tremblay, a CSA engineer (Image: University of Arizona) This mission will also search for habitable zones by characterizing the subsurface environment of the north polar region: Phoenix will measure the concentration of organic molecules using a mass spectrometer , perform water-chemistry experiments on wet soils, and examine microscopic soil grains. Canada's contribution This mission includes a significant Canadian component. The Canadian Space Agency will deliver the meteorological (MET) package to NASA: a pressure sensor, three temperature sensors located on a vertical mast, and a lidar. The MET instruments will be built by MD Robotics of Brampton, Ontario, with the support of Optech Inc. of Toronto, Ontario, for the development of the lidar (a type of radar, but operating at a higher frequency, using a laser transmitter and an optical receiver). Artists impression of the Phoenix lander and the Science Operation Centre , University of Arizona (Image: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of Arizona) The lidar will study dust , ice clouds and fogs from the surface up to a height of 10s of kilometres. The search for water and organic molecules is a significant quest that has occupied the scientific community for decades. Phoenix will collect data to help us understand the Martian climate and weather, past and present. The MET instrument package plays an important role in this mission to provide information on the current state of the atmosphere and the boundary layer.The lidar will detect the presence of dust, fog and ice clouds in the lower atmosphere. Dust is an important feature of the Martian atmosphere for its impact on the radiative balance in the atmosphere, which affects atmospheric temperature structure and dynamics. Dust also acts as a host for condensation in the formation of the water-ice clouds observed by Viking, Pathfinder, and TES on Mars Global Surveyor. Clouds help to spread water around the planet's atmosphere and send it down onto the surface. Water-ice crystals, when large enough, fall out of the atmosphere and, once deposited on the surface, interact with the regolith or are absorbed by it. Understanding boundary-layer dynamics and cloud formation and evolution is key to understanding the water cycle . A team with many skills. The Canadian scientific team, led by Professor Diane Michelangeli of York University, is actively supporting the development of the MET instruments as well as several other Phoenix instruments. She developed a cloud and dust model for Mars that can simulate the conditions expected at the Lander site. Professor Peter Taylor of York University is developing a boundary layer model to study the turbulence of the lower atmosphere. Professor James Whiteway, also of York, will help guide the lidar system design and characterization of the signals obtained. Professor Thomas Duck of Dalhousie University will develop the algorithms for the lidar data retrievals. Professor Carlos Lange at the University of Alberta will develop a model of the detailed flow and mass flux around the Phoenix lander with a validation experiment. Dr. David Fisher at the Canadian Geological Survey ( & University of Ottawa) will apply his glaciological and isotope-ratio expertise to determining the history of water on the planet. David Fisher and Peter Taylor are also providing information to the rest of the Phoenix team about ice sublimation. Dr. Allan Carswell, leader in lidar technology and founder of Optech, was the key person who made it possible for the Canadian team to be part of this exciting NASA mission. His scientific and technical expertise in lidar measurements is critical to the success of the project. A Contribution to Canada's future The scientific team is supported by undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates at the various institutions. The Phoenix mission provides exciting opportunities for young Canadian scientists who have an interest in planetary exploration. The training of highly qualified scientists and the development of new technologies and space exploration experience will reinforce Canada's leadership role in this area. For more information on the Phoenix mission, visit: For information about the MET science team activities visit: http://www.yorku.ca/dvm/phoenix/mars_base.html .

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Theme 1, 2,3,4,5,6: Human exploration of Mars will require water . The main accessible reservoirs of water are in the North Polar Cap and in the massive permafrost deposits close to the surface in the polar regions. Phoenix will dig for and study the massive ground ice, expected to be within 5 to 20 cm of the surface . The ground ice and Polar Cap are two of the main components of the Mars water cycle. There is presently a debate about the amount of water left on Mars and how the massive ground ice deposits were formed. The Mars permafrost regimes look much like Earth’s with patterned ground and other permafrost surface features. Does this ground ice originate from the ablation of the polar caps during earlier ‘warm’ episodes or does it form from water diffused upwards from below or downwards from above ? How does the ground ice interact with the Polar Cap ice? Addressing these key questions is central to the mission. Where there is water , there is the possibility of life-friendly environments and searching for organic molecules is another central mission goal. The salts in the soil could produce water brine films down to -50 C so there could be environments for life at the regolith-ground ice interface. Finding such life-friendly environments would take science into a significant new frontier ; Theme 6.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
USA through NASA, JPL , and many universities and companies University of Arizona , University of Texas, University of Washington, Texas A & M, Tufts, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, WU StL Lockheed Martin Aerospace Canada through CSA and many universities and companies York University, University of Toronto, Dalhousie University , University of Alberta , Edmonton, University of Ottawa, Geological Survey of Canada, MDRobotics, Optech Denmark through Niels Bohr Institute, U of Copenhagen Switzerland through the University of Neuchatel. Germany through The Max Plank Insitute of Aeronomy.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The exact landing site is to be decided soon, but will be in the North latitude ring 65-75 degrees and in a flat region that shows patterned ground and few surface rocks or local high slopes. There are four regions under consideration at present all of which have manageable thicknesses of dry soil over the ground ice (ie 5-20 cm). The robot digging arm can dig considerably deeper than 20cm so reaching the massive ice is almost certain.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: mm/07-09/08            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Data relay from Phoenix to Odyssey or Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters and back to Earth receiving station . Cruise data links for engineering monitoring and control via direct communications to earth. The operation of the mission will be controlled from the University of Arizona’s dedicated Phoenix Science Operation Centre . Science and flight teams will work in shifts during the whole mission window.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
There is no plan to use the Lander after the mission

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

NASA, CSA, JPL, Universities and companies will be managing the logistics. The mission is lead by the University of Arizona and main commercial vendor is Lockheed Martin Aerospace.in the US and MDRobotics in Canada.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The Phoenix mission has full funding from NASA (~ 318 M$ US) The CSA has undertaken to fund the Canadian contributions (~30M$ CDN) The Danes and Swiss teams have assured funding for their respective instruments and contributing scientists (~15 M$ US ) This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: SUB-THEME: Polar Regions as Observatories of the Universe

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
YES
The Phoenix mission is the first of the SCOUT series of missions. The guiding document for US Mars missions is the MEPAG (Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group) document, which sets out the goals for Mars exploration . At the centre of this document is the slogan “Follow the Water” with the underlying goals of assessing possible environments for life and finding resources that human explorers could use. The other space agencies around the world have similar criteria with respect to Mars.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The Canadian component is ultimately guided scientifically by the science team lead by Diane Michelangeli (York University). CSA is providing the funding and all plans go through them via Alain Ouellet. The science team-CSA liaison person is Vicky . Hipkin . The science team has provided the main engineering vendors MDR and Optech with the scientific requirements for the instruments and along with CSA have charged the companies to produce these instruments . The instruments have to also conform to the mass , energy , data and inter-operability requirements of the overall mission that is run out of JPL and U of Arizona. Ultimately the PI, Peter Smith has responsibility to keep the project scientifically and practically on track. This is done via working groups that meet by telecom 2 to 3 times a week and face-to-face team meetings 3-4 times a years at present. He is supported in this by the Phoenix Project Scientist , Leslie Tamppari, from JPL. The operational management (flight and science) of the mission will be run out of the University of Arizona’s “Lunar and Planetary Laboratory’s Phoenix Mission” site , where teams will work in shifts during the mission. Canadians will be on these operational teams.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The universities have held some public outreach events for students on their own and since last spring the CSA’s public outreach staff has been developing a school study and presentation kit for schools. A Canadian Science Team web-site has been created (see section 1.3). Allan Carswell organized a very successful “Mars Day” in Toronto for high school students. A series of research seminars have been given at York University and University of BC by Peter Taylor who also gave a presentation at the Science Teacher Association of Ontario Annual Congress. A CBC radio-1 out of Edmonton; a live interview. Carlos Lange gave a talk at The Space Exploration Symposium. D Fisher gave a an overview talk at the GSC and made and made a poster for a science writers symposium in Toronto.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
There is a data archive group lead by team member Prof. Ray Arvidson, Washington University St Louis . They are to be several levels of data , from raw data that goes directly to instrument groups to finished product calibrated data for public release. The time lines for this data vary from real time for the operational day-to-day mission planning and control to about a year to public releases. Interesting discoveries will go on-web within days . All data will go through NASA’s Planetary Data System that requires the archiving of data within a year of receipt The data plan will be finalized soon and will have to follow stringent NASA guidelines for mission data archiving and release.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The mission is presently fully funded and underway. NASA funds ~318 M$ US CSA funds ~ 30 M$ Cdn Danish and Swiss funds ~ 15 M$ US

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Although the Phoenix mission is on Mars , it is a polar mission to study many of the same processes as studied in Earth’s polar environments. Terrestrial polar regions are presently studied as Mars’ analogues . This of course can logically be turned around to view the Phoenix as a study of Mars’ polar environment as an Earth analogue. The climate and water cycle are driven by many of the same processes and any model or process that works on one planet can likely be applied on the other . On Mars everything happens more slowly . Instead of centimetres of water accumulation /yr, like in the dry parts of Antarctica, there are a few tenths of a millimetre per year. The strata in the ground ice and in the ice cap of Mars are consequently much thinner and the ages 100s to 1000s times older .The Phoenix mission launchs in 2007 and does its’ work in Mars’ North Polar region in 2008 thus coinciding exactly with the IPY window. Including Phoenix under an IPY banner seems natural. The PR potential in both directions is considerable and the generalizations in thought significant.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr  Diane Michelangeli
York University
Dept of Earth and Space Science and Engineering.
York University, Toronto ON
M3J 1P3
Canada

Tel: 416 736 2100 ext 77713
Mobile: 647-287-1171
Fax: 416-736-5817
Email:

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