For scientists working on interplanetary exploration, Martian gravity is difficult to replicate accurately. But Concordia researcher Krzysztof (Chris) Skonieczny did, however briefly, in a small airplane high above the national capital region.
Skonieczny, an assistant professor with the Concordia Institute of Aerospace Design and Innovation (CIADI), was measuring the effects the Red Planet’s light gravity would have on an upcoming Mars mission. More specifically, he wanted to see how Martian gravity — only one third of the Earth’s — and soil would affect the mobility of new Mars rovers.
With the ExoMars rover mission scheduled to leave Earth in 2020, scientists with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, the Russian state space corporation, are hoping to avoid the perils that befell previous rovers.
In 2009, for instance, the wheels on the NASA rover Spirit became stuck in the sand; it was immobilized for the rest of its mission. By conducting rigorous and extensive testing on new wheel technology, the hope is that future rovers will be properly equipped to deal with the unforgiving Martian terrain.
“What we’re looking for is how gravity affects traction and sinkage,” says Skonieczny.
“The whole field of thinking about soil interaction with rovers has many remaining open questions. There is not a lot of work on gravity and soil and robot-soil interaction.”