PRIME is described as an international robotic lander mission concept for investigating Phobos and its origin.
“PRIME is an international robotic lander mission concept to explore Mars's inner moon Phobos to address the outstanding question of its origin.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Exploration) Mission and Mars Sample Return
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The mission was proposed jointly by the Mars Institute, Optech Inc., and MDA Space Systems.
“PRIME was proposed jointly by the Mars Institute, Optech Inc., and MDA Space Systems”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The Canadian Space Agency selected PRIME for conceptual study in 2007.
“was selected for conceptual study in 2007 by the Canadian Space Agency”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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A 2007 conference at NASA Ames Research Center reiterated the importance of determining Phobos's origin.
“As reiterated during the First International Conference on the Exploration of Phobos and Deimos held at NASA Ames on Nov 5-7, 2007, the single most important science objective in the exploration of Phobos is to determine its origin.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The source divides proposed explanations of Phobos's origin into circum-Mars formation and capture.
“Competing hypotheses concerning Phobos's origin fall into two categories”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The circum-Mars formation hypothesis describes Phobos as formed around Mars or as a remnant of a larger body formed there.
“Circum-Mars Formation: Phobos is a circum-Mars formed body or the collisional remnant of a once larger body formed around Mars”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The capture hypothesis describes Phobos as a captured asteroid, comet, or collisional remnant.
“Capture: Phobos is a captured small body (asteroid or comet) or the collisional remnant of a once larger object that was captured”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The PRIME Lander's central scientific goal is to determine Phobos's nature and origin.
“The PRIME Lander Mars mission concept was developed with the central scientific goal of determining the nature and origin of Phobos.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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Secondary goals concern Phobos's evolution and present condition.
“Important but secondary scientific goals are to understand better Phobos's evolution through time and to assess the object's current state, including the processes that affect it.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The source identifies bulk composition as the most reliable measurement for investigating Phobos's origin.
“The single most reliable measurement that can be made to answer the question of Phobos's origin is to determine the martian moon's bulk composition.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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Remote sensing measures surface regolith, which may not represent the bulk composition.
“While remote sensing studies may help constrain the bulk composition of Phobos, they characterize strictly only the composition of Phobos's surface regolith, which might not be representative of Phobos's bulk.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The source says that an unambiguous determination requires a representative bulk sample.
“Determining the bulk composition of Phobos can be done unambiguously only by determining the composition of a representative sample of Phobos's bulk.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The PRIME Lander would survey sites from pseudo-orbits, land using CAMELOT-2, and conduct in situ measurements.
“The PRIME Lander is a fixed lander that will first characterize potential landing sites from orbit - actually pseudo-orbits about Phobos -, then soft land on Phobos using a short-range lidar (CAMELOT-2), then conduct in situ measurements.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The baseline payload includes GRS/NDL, CHAMP, APXS, PASCAL, and MAG.
“The PRIME Lander's performance floor science payload will examine the landing site's immediate surroundings using a body-mounted gamma-ray spectrometer/neutron detector (GRS/NDL)”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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Optech Inc.'s CAMELOT-2 lidar was intended to enable a landing within less than 0.5 metres of a selected block or outcrop.
“The PRIME Lander's CAMELOT-2 lidar, designed by Optech, will allow a precision soft touchdown of the spacecraft within an arm's reach (< 0.5 m) of a selected block or outcrop exposed on Phobos's surface.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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Mars Global Surveyor imagery identified a 90-metre-wide discrete positive relief feature near Crater Stickney.
“Mars Global Surveyor MOC image of a 90 m wide discrete positive relief feature (DPRF) near Crater Stickney on Phobos.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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Brett Gladman considered large discrete positive relief features possible samples of Phobos's bulk.
“Large (1-100m scale) discrete positive relief features or DPRFs on Phobos are considered likely samples of Phobos's bulk, as opposed to accreted meteorite fragments (B. Gladman, pers. comm.).”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The PRIME team selected a boulder near Crater Stickney as a candidate landing site.
“The PRIME Team selected the boulder shown in figure 2 as a candidate landing site to illustrate the PRIME mission's unique targeting capabilities.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The Rock-Dock capability was intended to land within 1 metre of the boulder, expose fresh material, and analyse it in situ.
“With its "Rock-Dock" capability, the PRIME Lander will be able to land within an arm's length (1m) of this feature, expose fresh lithic material using an abrasion tool, and conduct in situ compositional analysis.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The mission would develop technologies relevant to Mars Sample Return, including orbital rendezvous, hazard avoidance, and precision landing.
“the PRIME Lander mission involves mastery of key technologies and strategies of direct relevance for an eventual Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, namely: 1) Orbital rendez-vous in Mars orbit, 2) Landing hazard avoidance, and 3) High precision landing (rock dock maneuver).”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The team was examining an enhanced Phobos Sample Return version called PRIME PSR.
“The PRIME Team is currently examining an enhanced Phobos Sample Return (PSR) version of the PRIME mission or PRIME PSR which could also serve as a more complete precursor to MSR.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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PRIME PSR could test Mars sample return procedures while minimising planetary protection risks.
“In addition to the technologies deployed on the PRIME Lander mission concept, PRIME PSR would provide an opportunity to test Mars sample return procedures while minimizing planetary protection risks.”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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Pascal Lee, Alan Hildebrand, and Robert Richards held principal investigator, deputy principal investigator, and project manager roles respectively.
“Pascal Lee (PI) | Mars Institute, NASA Ames”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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The Mars Institute and NASA Ames were associated with Pascal Lee, the University of Calgary with Alan Hildebrand, and Optech Inc. with Robert Richards.
“Alan Hildebrand (DPI) | Univ. of Calgary”
The PRIME (Phobos Reconnaissance and International Mars Sample Return)
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