PRIME: Phobos Reconnaissance & International Mars Exploration Mission
Recently, the Canadian Space Agency announced the funding of five teams to develop concept and feasibility studies for Mars mission proposals. One of the selected proposals was for a robotic mission to Mars’ moon, Phobos and was put forward by Canadian aerospace company Optech with the science side of the mission being led by the Mars Institute (of which I am a member of the Board of Advisors). The proposed Phobos Reconnaissance & International Mars Exploration (PRIME) mission would rendezvous, study and land on Phobos, one of the solar system’s most mysterious objects. Such a mission would aim to answer many questions about the origin, composition and structure of Phobos and also provide insights into the origin and evolution of Mars and the solar system.
Back in 2005 I worked with Dr Pascal Lee (who is the Principal Invesitgator for PRIME) at the SETI Institute in California. While there I conducted a review of proposals for human and robotic exploration of Phobos. Subsequently I am particpating in the PRIME study as a member of the Science Support Team which is pretty exciting. This role is a great opportunity for me to interact with planetary scientists and aerospace engineers from all over the world and experience how real space mission proposals work first hand.
More information can be found at the following places…
Canadian Mission Concept to Mysterious Mars moon Phobos to Feature Unique Rock-Dock Maneuver - Optech Press Release
Canadians Teaming Up to Develop Mars Mission Concepts - CSA Press Release
Mars Mission Concept Proposals Receive Funding - CSA Background Information
PRIME Mission Poster - Mars Institute (PDF ~ 70KB) - You may spot my name on there amongst the authors.
I also get a mention on the front of Mars Society Australia’s website.
November 9th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
[…] So why am I here in California for two weeks? Well I am helping out with the 1st International Conference on the Exploration of Phobos and Deimos which is being run by the Mars Institute and held at NASA Ames Research Center. I’m involved because back in 2005 I worked as an intern for the Mars Institute with Dr. Pascal Lee for two months. During that time I did a review of all the literature regarding the exploration of Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, in order to support future proposals for robotic missions to these unusual objects. Since then I have continued to work with the Mars Institute (I’m on the Board of Advisors) and helped out with the PRIME mission study (see my earlier post here). As such I am giving a presentation at this conference (the PDF of the abstract is here) and assisting with various logistical things, including managing the ‘Destination Mars’ space art exhibit. […]
May 1st, 2008 at 7:44 am
Hi Michael,
I hope wedded life if treating you well & that you both are having a fantastic time.
I had heard of this mission some time ago & good to see it is still alive. Phobos indeed is a fascinating little world. Would it be possible for Deimos to be included (I am not sure the two are alike, similar, but not alike. Deimos is much ’smoother’, not grooved, fewer larger craters in proportion to size, very different shape , etc)?
Also it looks like another of my requests has been carried out. The highest point of Olympus Mons has been imaged by the MRO HiRISE (I had submitted a number of requests, including the Phobos & Deimos obs, the highest point on Mars was on that list, as that area is obviously near enough sticking up into space, so less eroded, less dusty showing the caldera wall structure in a clearer fashion).
As I said on the Phobos thread, I also like volcanic worlds & the giant volcanoes on Mars obviously are clues on the thermal internal history of Mars.
Andrew Brown.