TNA2 Planetary Simulation Facilities provides access to a set of laboratory facilities that are able to
recreate and simulate the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of planetary systems with
special attention to Martian, Titan and Europa analogues. Facilities include:
Mars simulation facilities at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam and
the Open University, UK that can
simulate Martian atmospheric conditions enabling researchers to assess to both probe the chemical and physical
properties of the Martian atmosphere and surface and to test instrumentation designed to probe Martian conditions
prior to its deployment in planetary space missions. The Mars surface analogue
at University of Wales, Aberystwyth
composed of Mars Soil simulant that provides a facility for testing robotic instrumentation for future space
missions to Mars to analyse and collect geological samples. Current testing includes specific instrumentation
under evaluation for the Pasteur science payload for ExoMars.
Titan atmosphere and surface simulation chamber at the Open University capable of both reproducing the Titan
atmosphere and providing an analogue for the physical and chemical conditions found on its surface. It has been
used to explore the results of the recent ESA Huygens probe and to prepare instrumentation for the next generation
of missions.
A suite of Planetary Simulation chambers at the Centre for Astrobiology Research, Madrid,
the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany and the
Instituto Nazonale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte,
Italy, designed to study planetary surfaces, atmospheres and space environments that may be used for testing
instrumentation for potential future space missions (e.g. ExoMars, Laplace, Tandem) whilst also providing
researchers with access to facilities that can provide fundamental physical and chemical data for models
and/or interpretation of observational data.
Dust impact facility at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany that allows the
investigation of hypervelocity dust impacts onto various materials to explore dust impact onto planetary minerals
caused by the interplanetary dust background. This is complemented by the dusty wind tunnel University of Aarhus,
Denmark which simulates wind driven dust exposure on Mars and may be used to quantify dust deposition (i.e. on
optical surfaces, electrical or mechanical components) and examine the operation of instrumentation in dusty/windy
environment under Martian conditions.
Print this page