IRF develops a new space instrument for future Mars exploration
The first prototype of a new space instrument to measure how plasma flows, developed at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), has undergone its “first light” test in IRF’s calibration chamber in Kiruna. The milestone brought scientists one step closer to exploring Mars’ ionosphere with a novel technique.
The 3D Velocity of Ions (3DVI) will measure how low-energy ions in Mars’ ionosphere move. The ionosphere, a layer of ionized gas enveloping the red planet, plays a critical role in the loss of its atmosphere. By studying these processes responsible for setting ionospheric plasma into motion, scientists hope to learn more about how the red planet has changed over billions of years, and why it lost much of its atmosphere while Earth kept its own.
The 3DVI instrument will provide precise measurements of very low energy ions in the Martian ionosphere, which has never been accomplished before. We know that these ions, initially at rest in the ionosphere, are accelerated to speeds exceeding 4 km/s. The mechanism behind this acceleration remains unknown. 3DVI aims to unravel this mystery," says the IRF scientist Yoshifumi Futaana, Principal Investigator of 3DVI.
For the first time, the scientific and engineering teams from Kiruna and Uppsala are building crucial parts of an instrument together – combining Kiruna’s expertise in mechanics and ion optics with Uppsala’s strength in highly sensitive electronics. The successful integration of these parts into the first prototype demonstrates technical progress thanks to successful teamwork.
One of the challenges of 3DVI is the capability to measure the very tiny electrical currents entering the instrument in the varying environment of Mars," Walter Puccio, research engineer of 3DVI electronics, says.
Manabu Shimoyama, IRF scientist and Instrument Lead of 3DVI adds;
It was an exciting experience to integrate these two components. The achievement goes beyond just a single instrument; it stands as a symbol of the institute’s collaborative spirit."
The instrument development is ongoing under funding by the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the M-MATISSE mission (Mars–Magnetosphere ATmosphere Ionosphere and Space-weather SciencE), one of three mission concepts selected by ESA for detailed study. If selected by ESA next year, the two M-MATISSE spacecraft would launch towards Mars orbit in 2037.
IRF would be a major contributor to the mission, leading the development of an international suite of plasma and electromagnetic field sensors, including 3DVI.
