The two satellites — called Blue and Gold in honor of the University of California, Berkeley’s colors, said Lillis — will be used to study Mars’ magnetic and space weather.

“The two spacecraft … will be characterizing the magnetic and space weather (i.e. plasma, radiation) environment on their way to Mars, then after they achieve Mars orbit, they'll be measuring this environment in the solar wind and within Mars' upper atmosphere, including rates of atmospheric escape,” Lillis explained to Spectrum News in an email interview.

There are many benefits to having two satellites for a mission like this, as it will be easier to measure solar winds and other conditions, he stated.

“With a single orbiter (satellite), we could measure conditions in the upstream solar wind, but then have to wait a couple of hours before the spacecraft orbit brought us into the upper atmosphere to measure the rates of atmospheric escape. That’s too long: we know the space weather propagates through the system in only one or two minutes. With ESCAPADE, we can measure cause and effect at the same time, i.e. the solar wind and upper atmosphere simultaneously.  To start to understand this highly dynamic system, we need that cause-and-effect perspective,” according to Lillis.

How the Martian magnetosphere can tell a story

Mars’ magnetosphere is distinct and complex due to the magnetic and plasma environment that surrounds the planet, which is caused by the strong magnetized rocks in the planet’s crust and the electric currents in the upper atmosphere created by solar and atmospheric winds, Lillis commented.

And it is why the magnetosphere is so different from other planets in our little solar system.

“Unlike Earth, Mars’ relatively weak and patchy magnetosphere means it provides less of a protective barrier from the solar wind, which continuously eats away at Mars’ atmosphere. Studying this process helps scientists understand how Mars’ atmosphere has changed over time and what conditions might have been like in the past. For instance, a stronger ancient magnetosphere probably protected Mars’ atmosphere and surface from harsh solar radiation, possibly creating conditions more favorable for life,” Lillis shared.

But also understanding Mars’ magnetosphere can help with future human missions to the Red Planet, noted Lillis.

“Knowing how Mars’ hybrid magnetosphere interacts with potentially dangerous space weather helps us better forecast its effects and design better protection for both spacecraft and astronauts, both on the surface and in orbit.  In addition, variability in Mars’ ionosphere can distort radio signals, causing difficulties for human communication and navigation on the surface,” he wrote.

Lillis added that when humans travel to Mars, they will need to rely on accurate space weather to stay safe from solar radiation storms, and understanding the magnetosphere and upper atmosphere will help with that.

If the long commute goes well, it will still be a nail-biting experience, Lillis shared.

“We will be biting our nails on September 1, 2027, as we await confirmation that Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) has gone smoothly. This is what we call a ‘do or die’ maneuver: if the engines fail to fire at just the right time and for just the right duration, the spacecraft could be stranded in their own orbits around the sun, never to come back to Mars. If we are successful, we'll be celebrating at our Mission Ops Center in the hills above the UC Berkeley campus, with a couple of cheeky beverages I'm sure,” he stated.

Quelle: SPECTRUMNEWS