Engineering
Simulating Satellite Calibration orbiting Mars Using Corner Reflectors (with Sentinel-3 A&B)
Satellites orbiting Mars need to be accurately positioned, both in terms of their orbit and their location over the Martian surface. It’s also important to measure the elevation of the Martian terrain, to measure its physical parameters and to be able to map Martian surface. One of the key instruments for this purpose are radar altimeters, which measure the height of the surface below the satellite. Radar altimeters are already being used on Earth to map different types of surfaces, such as oceans, land, glaciers, and icecaps, and Earth’s gravitational field (the geoid).
Just like on Earth, Radar Altimeters are excellent candidates to map Mars’ surface, and as on Earth, Mars Observation instruments orbiting Mars also need to be calibrated to ensure accurate measurements.This project aims to use the most advanced radar techniques to calibrate Earth-orbiting satellites like the Sentinel-3 A&B, to measure Earth’s surface elevation or, equivalently, Mars surface elevation. We will install a calibration site at the MDRS, that includes a Corner Reflector and a GNSS station.
Engineering
Mapping Mars surface characteristics with drones
Drones are commonly used these days to map Earth surfaces, using different type of sensors, from optical cameras, to LIDARs. They can also be used to map Mars surface, as Ingenuity, NASA’s Perseverance helicopter drone. In this project, we will fly a drone designed to account for the Mars light atmosphere (2% of the Earth one), that will embark an optical camera dedicated to map Mars surface, or in this case, the MDRS and its surroundings.
The flight plan will be designed and the data processing developed in collaboration with the Embry-Riddle University, in Florida.
Human Factors
Monitoring the female body under semi-extreme conditions
The female body and its reaction to extreme or semi-extreme conditions is not well understood. Studies on human factors have typically been centered on male body. There is a lack of information and data regarding female body behaviour under certain extreme conditions that astronauts have to face in their missions, and more in particular during the space walks or extra vehicular activities (EVA).The MDRS is a perfect place to carry out a study like this and gather data from the analog astronauts that can be analysed by Human Factor research centres such as the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) .
This study was be carried out during the MDRS crew 310 mission (Hypatia II), where the crew members weared instrumentations such as a Garmin watches, that measured vital constants like heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen, etc., while performing the day to day activities and the extra vehicular activities, preferably being submitted under semi-extreme conditions. The data is being analysed by a ISGlobal Research Centre team, led by Dr. Juan Ramon González, as PI.
