ASPERA-3
Analyzer of Space Plasma
and Energetic Atoms
Studying the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere — and the fate of the water that once shaped the red planet.
The ASPERA-3 Flight Unit
Four questions driving the ASPERA-3 experiment:
Where did the Martian water go?
Is it lost or simply frozen?
If it's lost, what enabled it to escape the planet?
If it's frozen, where is that tremendous reservoir stored?
Since liquid water is the fundamental requirement for life, a clear understanding of the fate of the Martian water supply is crucial in resolving the mystery of whether life ever existed on Mars. No instrument with similar scientific objectives has flown — or is scheduled to fly — to Mars.
ASPERA-3 launched aboard Mars Express in June 2003, becoming the first dedicated plasma and ENA experiment at Mars.