M-Matisse

SpaceM-Matisse

M-Matisse Mission

The M-Matisse Mission

The space science community has narrowed down the shortlist for ESA’s next ‘medium’ mission to three finalists: M-Matisse, Plasma Observatory and Theseus. Following further study, one will be selected for implementation as the newest addition to ESA’s space science mission fleet.

M-Matisse would study Mars using two spacecraft, each carrying an identical set of instruments to observe Mars simultaneously from two different locations in space. In particular, M-Matisse would shed light on how the solar wind influences Mars’s atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere. The mission aims to investigate the impact of these interactions on Mars’s lower atmosphere and surface, which is a key aspect to understand the Red Planet’s habitability, as well as the evolution of its atmosphere and climate.

Source and credits: ESA, JAXA, PMOD/WRC

Figure 1. The M-Matisse mission logo.

PMOD/WRC Instrument: M-SoSpIM

PMOD/WRC Instrument: Mars Solar Spectral Irradiance Monitor (M-SoSpIM)

The M-Matisse mission is the Mars Magnetosphere ATmosphere Ionosphere and Surface SciencE space mission. This will investigate the global dynamic response of the Martian plasma-atmosphere system to space weather activity with observations from two spacecraft.

Our instrument, M-SoSpIM, will be on each spacecraft. M-Matisse would shed light on how the solar wind influences Mars’s atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere. The mission aims to investigate the impact of these interactions on Mars’s lower atmosphere and surface, which is a key aspect to understand the Red Planet’s habitability, as well as the evolution of its atmosphere and climate.

M-Matisse is led by Beatriz Sanchez-Cano from the University of Leicester (UK) and has collaborations across Europe to develop the payloads. ESA made the selection of three potential medium class missions at the end of 2023. M-Matisse is one of these and is now in a competitive phase-A study. During this phase-A study, the missions teams work with the two potential spacecraft prime partners. One candidate M-class mission will be chosen by ESA in 2026.

Source and credits: ESA, JAXA, PMOD/WRC

Figure 1. M-SoSpIM preliminary design.

News & Info

News

Final three for ESA’s next medium science mission

The space science community has narrowed down the shortlist for ESA’s next ‘medium’ mission to three finalists: M-Matisse . . .
ESA, 8 Nov. 2023

Information

Links

ESA website: Final three for ESA’s next medium science mission

Main Collaboration Partners

University of Leicester
ESA ESTEC

 

Swiss Scientific Contact

Dr. Krzysztof Barczynski

Mission Facts

Mission Facts

Launch tbd
Launch rocket tbd
tbd
Nominal mission duration tbd
Extended mission duration tbd
PMOD/WRC instruments/involvement Mars Solar Spectral Irradiance Monitor (M-SoSpIM)
Mass –
Dimensions –
Power consumption –
Funding –

 

Source and credits: ESA, JAXA, PMOD/WRC