Micro-ARES, the Electric Field Sensor for ExoMars 2016: Atmospheric Interaction Simulations

G. Déprez [1], S. Cardnel [2], O. Witasse [2], F. Montmessin [1], F. Cipriani [2], A. J. Ball [2], F. Esposito [3]
[1] CNRS-LATMOS, Guyancourt, France
[2] ESA-ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands
[3] INAF-OAC, Naples, Italy
Published in 2015

Since 2011, LATMOS has been involved in the development of Micro-ARES, an electric field sensor forming part of the DREAMS science payload of the ExoMars 2016 Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing demonstrator module (EDM). Micro-ARES is dedicated to the very first measurement and characterization of Martian atmospheric electricity.

The instrument, a compact version of the ARES instrument for the former ExoMars Humboldt payload [1], is composed of an electronic board, with an amplification line and a real-time data processing Digital Signal Processor.