Dear colleague,
In the framework of its Mars exploration intiative “PREMIER” (Programme de
Retour d’Echantillons Martiens et Installation d’ExpŽriences en RŽseau),
CNES has issued a draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for selecting
scientific payloads to flight onboard its 2007 Mars mission (PREMIER-07).
The PREMIER-07 mission includes an orbiter (MO-07) and 4 NetLander probes.
Once deployed on the Martian surface, the NetLanders will form a geophysical
network. The PREMIER-07 mission will be launched by Ariane 5 in September
2007.
CNES will implement the PREMIER-07 mission with the following goals :
(i) to prepare the first Mars sample return mission through technological
validations in Mars orbit of some of its critical steps, e.g. Mars orbit
rendezvous,
(ii) to perform a scientific mission including the deployment and the data
relay of the NetLander stations and additional orbital science experiments.
Once in Mars orbit, MO-07 will ensure a telecommunication relay function
for the NetLanders and it will perform an additional orbital science mission
thanks to the PI instruments selected through the present AO.
More informations are available in the full AO, that you are invited to
download at the followiPleb address :
http://smsc.cnes.fr/PREMIER-2007/
The schedule of the AO process is the following :
Letter of intent due : March 15
Full proposal due : May 15
Selection announced: July 12
The final AO will be available on February 27 at the same address.
Sincerely,
CNES Space Science and Exploration Office
