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DN-003 M: Localized and predictive Mars surface weather characterization

Site-specific measurements and models of pressure, density, wind, temperature, composition and dust loading at the Mars surface, through the day and the seasons. The reference model, Mars GRAM, "is built to inform EDL and ascent simulations; uncertainties increase at surface level". The data matters for plume-surface interaction, for wind carrying plume material onto nearby assets or science sites, and for operations planning. No source ties it to the Moon Base (Data gaps spreadsheet, DN-003 M).

Quotations below are from row DN-003 M of the data gaps spreadsheet. ADD Rev C's Appendix E prints the same record as a table, and it matches the row field for field (ADD Rev C, p. 286).

Description

"Refine site-specific understanding and models of atmospheric pressure, density, winds, and dust/aerosol loading at the Martian surface, including diurnal and seasonal variability, to reduce uncertainty, plume-surface interaction, and operations planning."

Need driver and data type

  • Need driver: Mars Surface Natural Environment Characterization
  • Data type: In Situ Measurement

Target measurement parameters

"Measurement of atmospheric pressure, wind velocity, temperature, atmospheric composition at diverse surface sites on Mars."

Current state of data

"Pressure data from landers/rovers, atmospheric profiles/models. Mars global reference atmospheric model (Mars GRAM) and orbiter data for atmospheric composition. Mars GRAM is built to inform EDL and ascent simulations; uncertainties increase at surface level."

Impact if data is unavailable

"Increased uncertainty in modeling plume structure and resultant effects on surface erosion. Effects of Mars atmospheric conditions could impact the behavior of the Martian surface when interacting with a rocket plume. Uncertainty in environmental parameters leads to needing increased robustness, and thus mass, for surface assets. Martian wind can spread plume materials outside expected range and potentially contaminating science sites and impacting nearby exploration assets."

Benefits if data is available

"Increasing understanding of surface atmospheric density, winds, and dust effects on Mars would result improved landing safety in potential low visibility conditions induced by PSI. Additionally, exploration operations on the Martian surface will be heavily impacted by weather conditions which can be mitigated or planned for using forecasting models."

Traceability

  • Objectives: TH-06 M, TH-07 M (codes as printed; the sheet gives no titles)
  • Segment: Humans to Mars (H2M): "The M2M segment during which the data is needed, but not necessarily when it is collected" (Data gaps spreadsheet, Key sheet).

Priority

None. The spreadsheet has no priority field. The white paper calls the Rev C list "not a comprehensive or prioritized representation of NASA's data needs" (ACR25 data-gaps white paper, p. 4).

Moon Base relevance

Not established by the sources so far. The Users Guide's data-gap mapping covers lunar gaps only (Users Guide, pp. 12–13).

Sources

Data gaps spreadsheet, DN-003 M · ACR25 data-gaps white paper, p. 4 · Users Guide, pp. 12–13 · ADD Rev C, p. 286