Mars Space Flight Facility
Encyclopedia
The Mars Space Flight Facility is located at Arizona State University
in Tempe, Arizona
.
The facility is a research center in Arizona State University's School for Earth and Space Exploration. Scientists, researchers, and students there specialize in using instruments on spacecraft at Mars
for remote sensing research primarily concerning the geology and mineralogy of the planet.
The instruments based at the facility include the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS)
on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and two Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometers (Mini-TES) on the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. (A full-size Mars rover model, bedded on reddish-brown sand, dominates the building's lobby.) Before the loss of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor
in November 2006, the facility also operated the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES)
aboard the spacecraft.
On May 25, 2011, NASA announced a New Frontiers Mission, OSIRIS-REx
, to a carbonaceous asteroid. The mission will include OTES, an updated and modified version of the Mini-TES Spectrometer from the MER missions.
The facility's director is Dr. Phil Christensen
; he is the Principal Investigator of the THEMIS
instrument, a co-Investigator on the Mars Exploration Rover
project, and the Principal Investigator of the Mini-TES instrument on board the rovers. He was also the Principal Investigator for TES
.
In addition, the facility houses the NASA/ASU Mars Education Program. This provides workshops, field trips, and other opportunities for teachers and students to join with scientists in Mars exploration.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
.
The facility is a research center in Arizona State University's School for Earth and Space Exploration. Scientists, researchers, and students there specialize in using instruments on spacecraft at Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
for remote sensing research primarily concerning the geology and mineralogy of the planet.
The instruments based at the facility include the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS)
Thermal Emission Imaging System
The Thermal Emission Imaging System is a camera on board the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter. It images Mars in the visible and infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in order to determine the thermal properties of the surface and to refine the distribution of minerals on the surface of Mars as...
on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and two Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometers (Mini-TES) on the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. (A full-size Mars rover model, bedded on reddish-brown sand, dominates the building's lobby.) Before the loss of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Global Surveyor
The Mars Global Surveyor was a US spacecraft developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched November 1996. It began the United States's return to Mars after a 10-year absence. It completed its primary mission in January 2001 and was in its third extended mission phase when, on 2...
in November 2006, the facility also operated the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES)
Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Thermal Emission Spectrometer is an instrument on board Mars Global Surveyor. TES collects two types of data, hyperspectral thermal infrared data from 6 to 50 micrometers and bolometric visible-NIR measurements...
aboard the spacecraft.
On May 25, 2011, NASA announced a New Frontiers Mission, OSIRIS-REx
OSIRIS-REx
Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer is a planetary science mission, the third selected in the New Frontiers Program. The mission will study and return a sample of a carbonaceous asteroid to Earth for detailed analyses in about 2023...
, to a carbonaceous asteroid. The mission will include OTES, an updated and modified version of the Mini-TES Spectrometer from the MER missions.
The facility's director is Dr. Phil Christensen
Phil Christensen
Phil Christensen is a geologist whose research interests focus on the composition, physical properties, processes, and morphology of planetary surfaces, with an emphasis on Mars and the Earth...
; he is the Principal Investigator of the THEMIS
Thermal Emission Imaging System
The Thermal Emission Imaging System is a camera on board the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter. It images Mars in the visible and infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum in order to determine the thermal properties of the surface and to refine the distribution of minerals on the surface of Mars as...
instrument, a co-Investigator on the Mars Exploration Rover
Mars Exploration Rover
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission is an ongoing robotic space mission involving two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, exploring the planet Mars...
project, and the Principal Investigator of the Mini-TES instrument on board the rovers. He was also the Principal Investigator for TES
Thermal Emission Spectrometer
The Thermal Emission Spectrometer is an instrument on board Mars Global Surveyor. TES collects two types of data, hyperspectral thermal infrared data from 6 to 50 micrometers and bolometric visible-NIR measurements...
.
In addition, the facility houses the NASA/ASU Mars Education Program. This provides workshops, field trips, and other opportunities for teachers and students to join with scientists in Mars exploration.