The
M-MATISSE Mission

Summary

The "Mars Magnetosphere ATmosphere Ionosphere and Space-weather SciencE (M-MATISSE)" mission is an ESA Medium-class (M7) candidate currently in Phase A study by the European Space Agency (ESA). M-MATISSE's main scientific goal is to unravel the complex and dynamic couplings of the Martian Magnetosphere, Ionosphere, and Thermosphere (M-I-T coupling) with relation to the solar wind (i.e., space weather) and the lower atmosphere, and the processes leading to this coupling, which are highly entangled between several regions of the system. The M-I-T coupling controls the dissipation of incoming energy from the solar wind, and therefore, the evolution of Mars' atmosphere and climate (including atmospheric escape, auroral processes, and incoming radiation). Moreover, understanding the behaviour of Mars' M-I-T system and of the chain of processes that control space weather and space climate at Mars, as well as the radiation environment, is essential for exploration as it leads to accurate space weather forecasts and, thus, prevents hazardous situations for spacecraft and humans.

Mission Goals

The mission has three main goals:

• Characterising the global dynamics of the M-I-T coupling by unravelling its temporal and spatial variabilities. This will be done with simultaneous observations of the solar wind (energy input) and ionosphere-magnetosphere (energy sink), and also, via investigating the coupling of the mesosphere with the ionosphere and solar energetic particles.

• Characterising the radiation environment by determining how the M-I-T system absorbs the energy that reaches the planet and forecasting near-real time planetary space weather.

• Characterising the ionosphere/lower-atmosphere coupling, which is a region barely explored but essential for solar energetic particles related phenomena as well as for communications in HF wavelengths.

In addition, M-MATISSE will significantly contribute to the understanding of Mars climate and the lower atmosphere as two remote instruments have dedicated instrumentation to monitor dust, clouds, and to obtain temperature and density profiles from the surface up to about 50 km. Moreover, the heliophysics community will be involved in the mission with a full-package solar wind monitor at Mars' distances, contributing to the understanding of solar wind and the propagation of solar transients in the inner solar system.

Type of Mission

M-MATISSE is one of the current three candidates in competition at ESA at the Medium-size opportunity in ESA's Science Programme in response to the call published in December 2021. From 27 initial responses, ESA down-selected 5 missions in 2022, which went through a Phase 0 study. In that phase, ESA evaluated the expected science that could be achieved with each mission, as well as developed a preliminary mission design. In November 2023, ESA further down-selected them to three, which are currently in Phase A studies. In this phase, each candidate mission will be studied in detail by ESA, involving European aerospace companies, national institutes, and universities, resulting in a more comprehensive design for each mission. Payload maturation activities are being performed in parallel including breadboarding and testing. It is expected that one candidate mission will be chosen by mid-2026.

Scientific Instruments

Both M-MATISSE spacecraft have 6 scientific instruments. These are:

• Combined Magnetic and Plasma Sensor Suite (COMPASS), which consists of dual Fluxgate Magnetometers (MAG), dual Langmuir Probes (LP), a Mutual Impedence transmitter eXperiment (MIX), and a 3D Velocity of Ion (3DVI) instrument (composed of an Ion Drift Meter (IDM) and a Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA)) in a combined instrument package.

• Mars - Ensemble of Particle Instruments (M-EPI), which is a set of three particle sensors: the Mars Electron Analyser System (EAS), the Mars-Ion and Neutral Energy Analyser (M-INEA), and the Solar Particle at Mars (SP@M) sensor, combined in a single unit with a common Data Processing Unit (M-EPI DPU) interface with the spacecraft.

• Mars - Mass Spectrum Analyzer (M-MSA), which is an ion mass analyser.

• Mars - Solar Spectral Irradiance Monitor (M-SoSpIM), which is an EUV and soft X-ray monitor.

• M-MATISSE Crosslink Experiment (MaCro), which is a spacecraft-spacecraft radio science experiment for sounding of the low neutral atmosphere and upper-atmosphere/ionosphere.

• Mars - Aurora and Dust Camera (M-AC), which is an auroral camera for green line detections on the nightside of Mars, a new type of known aurora at Mars. It will detect dust opacity and ice clouds in the lower atmosphere on the dayside.

M-MATISSE Mission Concept

M-MATISSE consists of two orbiters with focused, tailored, high-heritage payloads to observe the plasma environment from the surface to space through coordinated simultaneous observations. It will utilise a unique multi-vantage point observational perspective, with the combination of in-situ measurements by both orbiters and remote observations of the lower atmosphere and ionosphere by radio crosstalk between them.

The fathership, called Henri, has a periapsis below 270 km and an apoapsis of 3000 km with an inclination of 60°. It is intended to spend most of its time within the Martian plasma system. The daughtership, called Marguerite, also has an inclination of 60°, a periapsis below 270 km and an apoapsis of 10,000 km. It is intended to spend most of its time in the solar wind and/or far tail of Mars (a region barely explored before).

M-MATISSE has a nominal mission duration of 1 Martian year, and the launch date is identified for July 2037.

Consortium

M-MATISSE is the product of a large organized and experienced international consortium in which 15 different space agencies participate. M-MATISSE is a community-led mission, and a legacy concept from pioneer missions, such as Mars Express, Trace Gas Orbiter, MAVEN, and experienced teams.