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Mosaic: A Satellite Constellation to Enable Groundbreaking Mars Climate System Science and Prepare for Human Exploration
The Planetary Science Journal
  • Robert J. Lillis, University of California - Berkeley
  • Aroh Barjatya, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • David Mitchell, University of California - Berkeley
  • Luca Montabone, Space Sciences Institute
  • Nicholas Heavens, Space Sciences Institute
  • Tanya Harrison, Planet Federal Inc.
  • Cassie Stuurman, California Institute of Technology
  • Scott Guzewich, NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr.
  • Scott England, Virginia Tech University
  • Paul Withers, Boston University
  • Mike Chaffin, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Shannon Curry, University of California - Berkeley
  • Chi Ao, California Institute of Technology
  • Steven Matousek, California Institute of Technology
  • Nathan Barba, California Institute of Technology
  • Ryan Woodley, California Institute of Technology
  • Isaac Smith, York University
  • Gordon R. Osinski, University of Western Ontario
  • Armin Kleinböhl, California Institute of Technology
  • Leslie Tamppari, California Institute of Technology
  • Michael Mischna, California Institute of Technology
  • David Kass, California Institute of Technology
  • Michael Smith, NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr.
  • Michael Wolff, Space Sciences Institute
  • Melinda Kahre, NASA Ames Research Center
  • Aymeric Spiga, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique
  • François Forget, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique
  • Bruce Cantor, Malin Space Science Systems
  • Justin Deighan, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Amanda Brecht, NASA Ames Research Center
  • Stephen Bougher, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  • Christopher M. Fowler, University of California - Berkeley
  • David Andrews, Swedish Institute of Space Physics
  • Martin Patzold, Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung
  • Kerstin Peter, Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung
  • Silvia Tellmann, Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung
  • Mark Lester, University of Leicester
  • Beatriz Sánchez-Cano, University of Leicester
  • Janet Luhmann, University of California - Berkeley
  • François Leblanc, IPSL
  • Jasper Halekas, University of Iowa
  • David Brain, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Xiaohua Fang, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Jared Espley, NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr.
  • Hermann Opgenoorth, University of Umea
  • Oleg Vaisberg, Space Research Institute
  • David Hinson, SETI Institute
  • Sami Asmar, California Institute of Technology
  • Joshua Vander Hook, California Institute of Technology
  • Ozgur Karatekin, Royal Belgian Observatory
  • Abhishek Tripathi, University of California - Berkeley
Submitting Campus
Daytona Beach
Department
Physical Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication/Presentation Date
10-12-2021
Abstract/Description

The Martian climate system has been revealed to rival the complexity of Earth's. Over the last 20 yr, a fragmented and incomplete picture has emerged of its structure and variability; we remain largely ignorant of many of the physical processes driving matter and energy flow between and within Mars' diverse climate domains. Mars Orbiters for Surface, Atmosphere, and Ionosphere Connections (MOSAIC) is a constellation of ten platforms focused on understanding these climate connections, with orbits and instruments tailored to observe the Martian climate system from three complementary perspectives. First, low-circular near-polar Sun-synchronous orbits (a large mothership and three smallsats spaced in local time) enable vertical profiling of wind, aerosols, water, and temperature, as well as mapping of surface and subsurface ice. Second, elliptical orbits sampling all of Mars' plasma regions enable multipoint measurements necessary to understand mass/energy transport and ion-driven escape, also enabling, with the polar orbiters, dense radio occultation coverage. Last, longitudinally spaced areostationary orbits enable synoptic views of the lower atmosphere necessary to understand global and mesoscale dynamics, global views of the hydrogen and oxygen exospheres, and upstream measurements of space weather conditions. MOSAIC will characterize climate system variability diurnally and seasonally, on meso-, regional, and global scales, targeting the shallow subsurface all the way out to the solar wind, making many first-of-their-kind measurements. Importantly, these measurements will also prepare for human exploration and habitation of Mars by providing water resource prospecting, operational forecasting of dust and radiation hazards, and ionospheric communication/positioning disruptions.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ac0538
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Citation Information
Robert J. Lillis, Aroh Barjatya, David Mitchell, Luca Montabone, et al.. "Mosaic: A Satellite Constellation to Enable Groundbreaking Mars Climate System Science and Prepare for Human Exploration" The Planetary Science Journal Vol. 2 Iss. 5 (2021) p. 1 - 59
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/aroh-barjatya/35/