ESA Science & Technology - Invitation to submit proposals for a small lander on Mars Express

• Guidelines for Proposals
• 10 Copies
• Evaluation guidelines:

This letter is to solicit proposals for a small lander (<= 60 kg) on ESA's Mars Express mission.

ESA intends to launch a mission to Mars in June 2003. The industrial definition work by three study contractors has recently come to an end. Alenia/Aerospatiale, Dornier and Matra-Marconi have carried out competitive pre-phase B activities and reported the results to ESA. In parallel, an independent Peer Review Committee carried out a payload selection and formulated a recommendation, which was recently endorsed by all the advisory bodies of the Agency.

The Mars Express spacecraft will carry the following complement of instruments:

• High Resolution Stereoscopic Camera - HRSC (G.Neukum, PI)
• Planetary Fourier Spectrometer - PFS (V.Formisano, PI)
• Visible and near-infrared mapping spectrometer - OMEGA (JP.Bibring, PI)
• UV spectrometer for atmospheric research - SPICAM UV (JL.Bertaux, PI)
• Subsurface Sounding RAdar - SSRA (G.Picardi, PI)
• Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms - ASPERA (R.Lundin, PI)
• Radio Science Investigation - RSI (M.Paetzold, PI)

Beyond the support for above mentioned payload elements, the spacecraft design requirements for the development phase will include the capability to carry a lander of a maximum mass at launch of 60 kg.

A mass allocation of 3 kg has been set aside for the required attachment-and-release hardware on the spacecraft side of the interface. The design of the lander shall ensure that it does not demand excessive support from the orbiter after release and landing on the surface. A period of 3 months of aerobraking will be necessary to gain the mass needed for the lander. The number of contacts and their duration will be very limited during this period. Therefore, the lander shall be able to operate in a near-autonomous manner. A telecommunications package for data relay services is already part of the spacecraft design. The Italian Space Agency, ASI, will provide this package as discussed at SPC on 28/29 May 1998.

The operations of the lander will be, at least initially, via ESOC.

Guidelines for Proposals

Proposals shall be submitted not later than 3 July 1998, according to the following guidelines:

The proposal shall be structured according to the original Mars Express Announcement of Opportunity. This document can still be downloaded (PDF format) from http://www.estec.esa.nl/spdwww/mars/html/mars.html

Specifically, the technical part shall contain a detailed design of the entry-, descent-, and landing system, the lander system and its payload and development status. The proposal shall also contain a list of technologies to be used and their specific development status in order to assess specific risk areas.

The proposed design shall allow for sufficient margins to assure a launch mass not exceeding 60 kg, excluding the hardware remaining on the spacecraft. The non-ejected mass shall only include the interface adapter and the data relay system.

The mass of the interface adapter shall not exceed 3 kg (incl. margin).

The telecommunications equipment of the lander shall meet the requirements

imposed by IMEWG for Mars to orbiter communications.

The proposer shall submit a credible funding plan of the entire lander project.

A final confirmation of the funding of the entire lander project up to launch shall be submitted not later than 30 October 1998.

The provision of the lander must be based on a no-exchange-of-funds basis with ESA.

The proposal shall describe the management structure to be implemented in case of selection. Task assignments and lines of reporting shall be described in the proposal.

All tasks to be executed by industry shall be identified.

A master schedule must be provided indicating all major milestones that shall serve as the basis for negotiations with the Mars Express Study Contractors for matching the lander milestones with the Mars Express project. In this plan it should be assumed that the delivery of the flight model would be required by mid 2001.

It shall be noted that starting in early 1999 the Mars Express Prime Contractor will be responsible for the definition and implementation of all technical interfaces between the lander and the spacecraft.

By 3 July 1998 proposals shall be submitted to:

Evaluation guidelines:

Proposals submitted in response to this call will be evaluated according to their scientific and technical merits. The Mars Express Peer Review Committee will analyse the scientific objectives of the proposal and a team of ESTEC experts will perform a technical analysis with respect to feasibility of the design and the credibility of remaining within the mass of 60 kg at launch.

Credibility of the management and funding plans are also part of the evaluation.

The proposals will also be forwarded to the Mars Express Study contractors with a request to assess the technical and cost impact of the proposed design on the Mars Express spacecraft.

Last update: 20 April 2000