ESA's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding Gets Software Upgrade 19 Years After Its Launch, Mars Exploration Said to Get More Efficient

The Mars Express was ESA’s first mission to Mars, launched on June 2, 2003.

Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding sends low-frequency radio waves toward the planet using a 40-meter-long antenna

What is Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding?

The Mars Express orbiter's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding subsurface radar sounder, which has a 40-meter (130-foot) antenna, will look for water and analyze the atmosphere.

The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding antenna will unfold and start its radar analysis once Mars Express arrives in orbit around Mars. The primary goal of Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding is to search for water from the Martian surface down to a depth of around 5 km (3 miles). It will present the first chance to directly detect liquid water. As well as studying the interplay of the atmosphere and solar wind in the ionosphere of the red planet, it will be able to assess the elevation, roughness, and radar reflectivity of the planet's surface. The equipment will be able to conduct ground-penetrating research across the entire planet for the duration of the mission. [Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding: Finding Water and Researching the Atmosphere]

A significant software update is planned for the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) sensor on board the Mars Express spacecraft of the European Space Agency. Launched on June 2, 2003, the Mars Express was the first mission to Mars undertaken by the European Space Agency. It has the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding instrument, which was used to identify evidence of liquid water on the Red Planet. The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding is an Italian spacecraft run by the National Institute for Astrophysics, which uses a 40-meter antenna to broadcast low-frequency radio waves toward the planet. While the majority of these waves bounce back off of Mars' surface, some are able to pass through and bounce off of the boundaries between layers and of other materials, including rocks, water, and ice.

Following that, researchers examine the reflected signals in order to map the planet's interior structure using them. They can use it to investigate the thickness, composition, and other characteristics of materials that exist a few kilometers below the surface of the globe.

The software of Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding is currently being upgraded by experts to make it more effective in exploring the planet and its moon Phobos and returning detailed data.

Andrea, Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding Deputy PI and Operation Manager at the National Institute for Astrophysics, who oversaw the development of the upgrade, said, "After decades of fruitful science and having gained a good understanding of Mars, we wanted to push the instrument's performance beyond the limitations required back when the mission began.

" With the modification, Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding signal reception and onboard processing performance will also be enhanced, enabling it to send more data to Earth with higher quality. Andrea mentioned that they have previously studied the characteristics of Mars and Phobos using a sophisticated technique. However, it consumes the instrument's onboard memory and is used to store high-resolution data.

"The new software enables us to switch Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding on for five times as long and examine a far bigger area with each pass by rejecting data that we don't need," explained Andrea. The new technique will enable researchers to more thoroughly examine specific areas near Mars' where low-resolution data has already revealed evidence of liquid water.

Nearly 20 years after launch, "it really is like having a brand-new instrument on board Mars Express," he continued.

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