Announcement of Opportunity for ExoMars Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module Science

30 Nov 2010

A Q&A page is now available by following the link in the right-hand menu. (Last updated 4 February 2011).

ESA and NASA have today issued an announcement of opportunity for scientific investigations on the 2016 ExoMars Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM).

This solicitation requests:

1. Proposals from science teams to conduct scientific analyses on the data acquired by the EDM’s Engineering Sensors during the entry and descent phases.
2. Proposals for complete science investigations that include an integrated payload or a sensor to be accommodated as part of the integrated payload to be included in the EDM.

The Joint Mars Exploration Programme by ESA and NASA comprises two missions for launch in 2016 and 2018. These missions will pursue important science objectives, such as investigating the Martian environment, and demonstrate new technologies paving the way for a future Mars sample return mission in the 2020's.

 
 
The ExoMars Orbiter and the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module in cruise configuration.
Credit: ESA

The 2016 mission is led by ESA and launched by NASA. ESA will provide the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the ExoMars EDM.

The ExoMars EDM constitutes a technology platform whose main goal is to enable Europe to acquire the capability to land on Mars. Although designed to demonstrate entry, descent and landing technologies, the EDM also offers limited, but useful, science capabilities.

The ExoMars Orbiter will carry and release the ExoMars EDM to perform a controlled landing on the surface of Mars. The EDM accommodates a series of sensors that will monitor the behaviour of all key technologies during the mission. These technologies include a special material for thermal protection, a parachute system, a radar Doppler altimeter system, and a braking system controlled by liquid propulsion. The data will be sent back to Earth for post-flight reconstruction in support of future European missions to Mars. The EDM will also deliver a small science package that will operate on the surface of Mars for a short duration after landing.

ESA and NASA will conduct a joint evaluation of the proposals received in response to this announcement.

 

All related documentation and submission forms can be accessed via this page.
The direct url is http://exploration.esa.int/EDM-AO

 

Schedule

Due date for Notices of Interest The deadline has passed
Due date for Proposals The deadline has passed

 

Documentation

1.
 
Announcement of Opportunity
Main document for this AO
2. 
 
EDM Surface Payload Experiment - Proposal Information Package (E-PIP)
Technical, managerial and programmatic data relevant to the AO for the Surface Payload on the ExoMars EDM
3.
 
EDM Science Proposal Template
The proposal template is an aid to preparing proposals in response to this AO

All the documentation can be downloaded from the right-hand menu. In addition, a number of technical reference documents are provided as support documentation. These are itemised in the 'List of support documentation' and can be downloaded as 3 zip files (see links in right-hand menu).

 

Points of Contact

ESA point of contact:
Dr. Jorge L. Vago
ExoMars Project Scientist
ESA/ESTEC (SRE-SM)
Noordwijk
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 71 565 5211
Email: jorge.vago@esa.int		 NASA point of contact:
Dr. Philippe Crane
Planetary Science Division
Science Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546-0001
Tel: +1 202-358-0716
Email: philippe.crane@nasa.gov


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Last Update: 02 Mar 2011