ExoMars: all Made in Italy space to Mars – diregiovani

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11 March 2016

Italy participates in an important way Martian adventure. And ‘the country in which the’ Exam has entrusted the leadership of both phases of the mission. This means that Italy has overall responsibility for carrying out the Exomars , but not only. The descent module Schiaparelli is an Italian-and so is the expected ‘drill’ that will pierce Mars in 2018, as well as the rover’s control center. It does not end here. The Made in Italy industry has also produced four important tools.

DREAMS (Dust characterization, Risk assessment and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface) suite of sensors for the measurement of meteorological parameters (pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation) and of the atmospheric electric field in the vicinity of the surface of Mars. It will have the opportunity to study the environmental conditions on the planet over the period, particularly interesting, where it is expected a strong presence of dust in the atmosphere (Francesca Esposito INAF / Naples Astronomical Observatory)

AMELIA (Mars atmospheric Entry and Landing Investigation and Analysis), modeling the Martian atmosphere using data collected by the sensors during the descent of the lander on the Martian surface Schiaparelli (Francesca Ferri CISAS- University of Padua )

MA_MISS (Mars Multispectral Imager for subsurface Studies) spectrometer for the analysis of geological and biological evolution of the Martian subsurface, inserted inside the drill, which will analyze the shape of the inner surface of the drilling performed by the drill itself (Maria Cristina De Sanctis (INAF / IAPS, Rome, Avionic Systems Division Space and Finmeccanica).

INRRI (Instrument for landing-Roving laser Retroreflector Investigations) microriflettore the Italian Space Agency’s laser (ASI) and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) has been realized with the scientific supervision of Simone Dell’agnello, physical of the Frascati National Laboratories (LNF) INFN.

CLICK HERE ‘ to know the MISSION ExoMars

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Today we know better: two Principal Investigator of the ExoMars mission thanks to interviews of Media Inaf

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Francesca Esposito is a planetologist whose research is part of the solar system space exploration. Researcher National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) at the ‘ Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory , has a degree in physics and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the’ University of Naples Federico II .

it is engaged in the development of instrumentation for space applications, with particular reference to the dust sensor, which varies with the nature and origin is present in great deal in our solar system. There are many tools developed for major projects that have been occupied in this field, remember JADE , on board the ESA space mission Rosetta , MEDUSA for the study of dust in the atmosphere of Mars and evolution of dust storms.

to get to today where it has earned the role of Principal Investigator for the development of the DREAMS tool , aboard the mission ExoMars , realized with the Italian Space Agency support. Francesca has the international coordination of the team that developed a suite of sensors for the measurement of weather conditions and the presence of electric fields (including electric shocks may be present during sandstorms) on Mars. Also it deals with the analysis of data from various space missions to the bodies of the solar system in search of a common thread that clarifies the origin and evolution of the individual planets and the solar system as a whole. CLICK HERE ‘ to FULL INTERVIEW

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Maria Cristina De Sanctis, a researcher at dell ‘ Institute for Astrophysics and Space Planetology INAF, Rome is an planetologist specialized in the study of the surface composition of small objects in our solar system and an expert in the design of instrumentation for space missions, especially for spectral analysis and the thermal evolution of planetary bodies. It is involved in a large number of projects, including those in progress include Dawn , where P.I. of the VIR , but above ExoMars, the ESA probe that wants to reach Mars. The start of the first spacecraft that make up the ExoMars program is scheduled for next March 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. On board the probe, which will form the second part of the ExoMars mission, specifically in support of the rover that will explore Mars from 2018, there is MA_MISS (MARS Multispectral Imager FOR SUBSURFACE STUDIES) , instrument made with the Italian Space Agency support which Maria Cristina is Principal Investigator . We asked her a few questions to know her better.

The tools we have always led the laboratory counterparts. It is at times of prototypes that allow us to assess whether the instrument hypothesized actually has the capabilities you would expect, other times of true copies, used to evaluate the performance of the flight instruments or as laboratory instruments themselves. As for solving complicated equations, I also have a strong interest in evolutionary and predictive models based on the solution of these equations … so maybe in return reality in the above stereotype. CLICK HERE ‘ to FULL INTERVIEW

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