Mars exploration

Mars-NEXT is a scientific and technology mission of the European Space Agency ESA to Mars. The mission follows ExoMars in frame of a future Mars exploration programme. The major scientific goal is the performance of simultaneous geophysical and meteorological investigations from different sites on Mars surface, realised by a network of stations. The technology goals of the mission are related to the development of key technologies in preparation of a future Mars Sample Return mission. OHB has contributed to the industrial definition study recently performed under ESA contract.

Mars-NEXT consists of an Orbiter and three Landers carried by the Orbiter to Mars. The Landers are released during the Mars approach phase one by one such that they land at different areas of the red planet. As result, the three Landers are separated both in longitude and latitude when landed, optimising the science return from the mission. The Orbiter performs the Mars orbit insertion into a highly elliptic orbit and uses aerobraking for circularisation of the target orbit. It finally reaches a low Mars orbit well suited to perform the data relay function of the science data to Earth and to fulfil the technology demonstration objectives of the mission. Apart from aerobraking, the technology related mission goal is the demonstration of an autonomous rendezvous and capture in Mars orbit, required for a future Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. For that, the Orbiter releases a dummy representative of a future MSR sample container and performs the rendezvous and capture demonstration without control from Earth. The mission is scheduled to be launched in 2018.

In frame of the industrial definition study recently concluded, OHB was in charge of the mission design activities for the Mars-NEXT mission. This included the optimisation of the interplanetary transfer trajectories and the aerobraking mission phase as well as detailed definition of the Lander release scenario under constraints defined by the mission science team.