Comparison of surface temperatures measured by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) on Mars Express with predictions from the Berlin Mars near Surface Thermal model (BMST) for the BEAGLE 2 landing site in Isidis Planitia

Abstract

The Isidis Plantita region on Mars is a landing site favored by engineers for its inherent safety. The landing site of Beagle 2 was in this area, as was one of the prime backup landing sites for the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. Therefore, it seems likely that for future lander missions to Mars this area will be on the shortlist. Within its first orbits Mars Express has passed over Isidis Planitia and the Beagle 2 landing site. From these passes we have derived first estimates of the surface temperature for a region covering the planned landing site of Beagle 2 using in the long wavelength channel (5–45 μm) of the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) next term on Mars Express. We have compared these temperatures with a map of surface temperatures for this area derived from a modeling with the Berlin Mars near Surface Thermal model (Helbert, J., Benkhoff, J. A new approach to assessing the burial depth of ground ice deposits and its application to proposed MER landing sites in Isidis Planitia. Journal of Geophysical Research 108(E12), ROV 28-1, 2003).