China continues to make great strides as part of its goal to become a space superpower and a direct competitor to NASA.
In addition to the proposed extensions, Amamiya Space Station and, International Lunar Research Station According to (ILRS), China also plans to send a manned mission to Mars within the next 10 years.
In preparation for Taikonaut’s arrival on Mars, China is preparing to return Martian soil and rock samples to Earth, about two years earlier than proposed by NASA-ESA. mars sample return (MSR).
This mission was carried out by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) Astronomical Program (Astronomy-3) and will consist of two launches in 2028, with samples expected to return to Earth in July 2031.
according to new research Chinese scientists have developed a new numerical model to simulate the atmospheric environment on Mars, they announced recently in the China Science Journal.is known as Global open planetary atmosphere model of Mars (also known as GoPlanet-Mars, or GoMars), this model provides research support in preparation for the Tianwen-3 mission.
A paper entitled “”Development of a new generation Mars atmospheric model GoPlanet-Mars” was carried out by researchers. Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP-CAS), State Key Laboratory of Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Science and Geofluid Dynamics (LASG), and Faculty of Earth and Planetary Sciences in University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEPS-UCAS).
This research was led by Wang Binga senior researcher at CAS-IAP specializing in climate modeling.
Over the past two decades, the number of missions and space agencies involved in Mars exploration has increased significantly.
Currently, 10 robotic missions are exploring its surface and atmosphere, including seven orbiters, two spacecraft, and one helicopter. And with more flights scheduled to Mars over the next decade (as well as crewed missions), the demand for Mars weather forecasts is growing.
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As they show in their paper, “the world’s aerospace powers have developed a Mars atmospheric model that provides meteorological environmental protection for lander exploration.”
To provide information about weather conditions around a potential landing site for the Tianwen-3 mission, the research team built a global open planetary atmosphere model of Mars. They then used this model to recreate her three key cycles of Mars’ atmosphere: dust, water, and carbon dioxide.
They then tested the model using Open access to Mars assimilation remote exploration (OpenMARS) dataset, a global record of Mars weather from 1999 to 2015, and observations from China. Zhulong Probe (part of China) Astronomy-1 mission) and NASA viking 1 and 2 lander.
Their results showed that the GoMars model successfully reproduces the unique characteristics of Mars’ surface pressure and provides good simulation performance for surface temperature, zonal winds, polar ice, and dust.
Wang said the Tianwen-3 mission will expand on Tianwen-1 by adding the additional tasks of landing, sampling and return, which will require detailed information about Mars’ atmospheric conditions. This is extremely important considering that multiple missions were lost due to sandstorms, including Opportunity, Insight, and Turon, all of which were caused by dust accumulating on solar panels.
Additionally, one of the Perseverance spacecraft’s wind sensors was damaged when it was struck by an airborne pebble during a sandstorm. Due to the lack of observational data on Mars, this model can also be applied to virtual reality simulations.
This is necessary when preparing a mission to a remote planet and will help in the design of the vehicle and the selection of a suitable landing site. In this regard, GoMars and the “Virtual Mars” program incorporating future observations could take much of the guesswork out of future mission planning.
Since the 1960s, when the Soviet and American space programs began sending probes to Mars, scientists have been developing models of Mars’ atmosphere in hopes of overcoming the “problem.”curse of marsAs more countries send missions to Mars, the need for climate modeling becomes increasingly important.
After all, dust and weather can significantly impact the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase. It can also impact ground operations, especially where solar panels, communications, and sensitive equipment are involved.
It could also be a problem during the ascent phase, when the mission reaches orbit and attempts to return to Earth as part of a sample return mission.as a king commented He said this in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.
“The dust circulation on Mars is as important as the water circulation on Earth. GoMars allows us to simulate dust activity before and after the rover’s hiatus, and to analyze the atmospheric environment to analyze possible causes of the hiatus. We get the data.”
For example, GoMars can simulate the temperature of the landing zone, and scientists can use these data to design materials suitable for building Mars rovers to cope with the extreme cold. ”
At the beginning of the next decade, NASA and ESA also mars sample return (MSR) A mission to retrieve samples obtained by the Perseverance rover. It consists of a NASA sample recovery lander, two sample recovery helicopters, a Mars rover, and an ESA Earth return orbiter.
NASA and ESA currently expect this mission to launch as early as 2033, coinciding with NASA’s first crewed mission to Mars to leave Earth. Apparently, the new space race extends beyond the moon and includes reaching Mars.
This article was first published today’s universe.read Original work.