University of Toronto researchers will be working with NASA and the European Space Agency in developing an instrument for methane detection in the Martian atmosphere. The Mars Atmospheric Trace Molecule Occultation Spectrometer, an instrument known as MATMOS, will be attached to the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a satellite set for launch in early 2016.
Methane was first detected on Mars in 2003 in greater abundance than expected. The origin of the gas has since stood as a mystery for planetary researchers.
“Methane can be produced both biologically (for example, by fermentation and respiration by microorganisms under the surface and by decomposition of organic matter) and geologically (by volcanic activity, hydrothermal processes, and comet and meteorite impacts). By simultaneously measuring the spatial — both vertical and horizontal — distribution of methane and other gases that are involved in methane chemistry, we hope that MATMOS and ExoMars will provide a clear answer regarding the mystery of Mars methane,” says Kimberly Strong of U of T’s physics department.
When asked whether she hopes the source of methane is geological or biological in nature, Strong laughs, “It would be interesting if the source were to turn out to be biological.” Her statement sarcastically understates the significance of a scientifically credible confirmation of life on Mars. The implications of verifying the source of Martian methane would reveal important revelations regarding our most intensely explored extraterrestrial body, providing greater insights into the biological and geological history of the planets.
There is little doubt about the weight of the ExoMars mission and the cruciality of the MATMOS instrument, which is being developed in partnership between the Canadian Space Agency, the California Institute of Technology, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. MATMOS also draws on Canadian expertise previously used in similar technologies used to study ozone depletion in Earth’s atmosphere since 2003.
“MATMOS is an infrared spectrometer with a telescope. As the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter orbits around Mars, the sun will appear to rise and set on each orbit. The satellite points the telescope at the sun during each sunrise and sunset, allowing the MATMOS spectrometer to record spectra of sunlight that has passed through the Martian atmosphere on its way to the instrument. These spectra contain absorption features due to gases and dust in the atmosphere. Computer programs (retrieval algorithms) are used to measure the vertical distributions of many gases, as well as their distribution around the planet,” says Strong.
MATMOS will be the result of the combined efforts of several of the leading minds at U of T’s geology, chemistry, and physics departments. Physicist Kimberly Strong will be the main Canadian contact for retrieving the computer algorithms sent by MATMOS that will translate into the Martian atmospheric composition. Kaley Walker, also from the physics department, will be involved with the testing of MATMOS. Jon Abbatt of the chemistry department will be involved in interpreting the methane reactions occurring in Mars’s atmosphere. And Barbara Sherwood Lollar of the geology department will be the main Canadian contact in determining if the source of Mars’s methane is biological or geological.
The CSA will fund the conceptual phase of the Canadian contribution to MATMOS, and has selected ABB Bomem of Quebec City as its prime contractor. Canada’s contribution to MATMOS will include the heart of the instrument: the critical subsystem of a detection instrument known as an interferometer, a solar imager, and optical components that will collect light interacting with the Martian atmosphere. The project will not only involve researchers from other Canadian universities such as Dalhousie, York, and the University of Winnipeg, but will consist of an international team of experts from Europe and the United States — a team incorporating experts in every related discipline, a factor Strong believes will ensure the success of the ExoMars mission.
Timeline
1975: NASA’s Viking program involved sending two space probes to the red planet. Each probe was made up of an orbiter to photograph the Martian surface, as well as a lander to study its geological characteristics and composition. The Viking program was a huge step toward establishing current scientific knowledge on Mars.
1990: An artist’s rendition of the Mars solar powered rover, designed for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, an ongoing robotic mission for the exploration of the Martian surface.
1996: The Sojourner rover was on board the Mars Pathfinder lander, later renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station. The project was designed to execute experiments on the Martian surface.
2003: The Mars Exploration Rover mission was launched in 2003 when MER-A Spirit and MER-B Opportunity were sent to explore Martian geology. The mission’s objective was to discover and categorize rocks and soils on the Martian surface that would provide evidence for past water activity on Mars.
2013: An artist’s impression of the ESA/NASA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The MATMOS infrared spectrometer designed by U of T researchers will be one of the science instruments on board the orbiter, and was designed to detect low concentrations of molecular constituents of the Martian atmosphere.
