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Mars surface gas chromatograph mass spectrometer
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Mahaffy, P. |
| Copyright Year | 2000 |
| Description | A Mars surface lander Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) is described to measure the chemical composition of abundant and trace volatile species and isotope ratios for noble gases and other elements. These measurements are relevant to the study of atmospheric evolution and past climatic conditions. A Micromission plan is under study where a surface package including a miniaturized GCMS would be delivered to the surface by a solar heated hot air balloon based system. The balloon system would be deployed about 8 km above the surface of Mars, wherein it would rapidly fill with Martian atmosphere and be heated quickly by the sun. The combined buoyancy and parachuting effects of the solar balloon result in a surface package impact of about 5 m/sec. After delivery of the package to the surface, the balloon would ascend to about 4 km altitude, with imaging and magnetometry data being taken for the remainder of the daylight hours as the balloon is blown with the Martian winds. Total atmospheric entry mass of this mission is estimated to be approximately 50 kg, and it can fit as an Ariane 5 piggyback payload. |
| File Size | 195117 |
| File Format | |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2000-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometers Mars Surface Trace Elements Chemical Composition Mars Atmosphere Isotope Ratios Rare Gases Wind Meteorology Magnetic Measurement Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports ServerĀ (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |