Planet B

"Bill Dunaway" wrote:
What kind of sensors does the Japanese Planet B carry? Does it have any
advantages over previous Mars orbiters or Mars Express?

http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/missi...omi/index.html

Nozomi ("Hope") / Planet-B carries the following instruments:

MIC: a global Mars visual wavelength imager
MGF: a magnetometer
PET: electron temperature probe (studies the Martian ionosphere)
ESA: electron spectrum analyzer (studies the ionosphere and
magnetosphere)
EIS: electron and ion spectrometer (studies the interaction of
the Solar wind with the upper Martian atmosphere)
XUV: extreme ultraviolet scanner (measures the Hydrogen and
Helium in the Martian upper atmosphere, gives information
about ongoing vulcanic activity)
UVS: ultraviolet imaging spectrometer (measures Hydrogen and
Oxygen in the Martian upper atmosphere, and will give
information about the evolution of Mars' past water)
PWS: plasma wave sounder (studies the ionosphere)
LFA: low frequency plasma wave sounder (same)
IMI: ion mass imager (studies elemental and isotopic composition
of ions created by the interaction of the solar wind with the
Martian atmosphere)
MDC: mars dust counter (studies the size and distribution of
dust particles in Martian orbit)
NMS: neutral mass spectrometer (studies composition of trace
gasses in Martian orbit from the Martian atmosphere
and the solar wind)
TPA: thermal plasma analyzer (studies the thermal characteristics
of ions in the upper Martian atmosphere)


As you can see, most of the studies are concentrated on the
upper atmosphere, ionosphere, magnetosphere, and interactions
with the solar wind. We haven't studies these things very
well for Mars so Nozomi's contribution should be fairly
significant, and a good complement to the other studies of
Mars by other spacecraft.