Friday

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is the first component of the ExoMars programme, a collaborative project between the European Space Agency and Roscosmos. TGO has been making science observations of the martian atmosphere and surface in a 400 km altitude orbit since late April 2018. The scientific payload comprises four instruments; the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS) and Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery (NOMAD) spectrometer suites, the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) and the Fine-Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector (FREND).
NOMAD and ACS are mapping the composition and distribution of Mars' atmospheric trace gases, isotopologues, aerosols and thermal structure in unprecedented detail utilising both solar occultation and nadir modes of observation. CaSSIS has produced over 21,000 high-resolution colour images to date, along with digital elevation models of the martian surface. FREND is creating the most detailed map ever produced of water-ice or hydrated minerals in the shallow subsurface of Mars.
A key goal of TGO has been to advance our understanding of methane on Mars, with the high sensitivity of ACS and NOMAD allowing for measurements below parts per billion level. A dedicated campaign has focused on coincident and semi coincident monitoring of methane above the Curiosity rover that has reported possible detections close to the surface. The primary science observations also began just before the onset and development of a global dust storm. TGO was able to monitor the impact of this event on several components of the martian atmosphere coincidentally including the distribution of water vapour and its isotopologues alongside the atmospheric temperature and dust structure.
This talk will give a brief description of the TGO mission, followed by an overview of the exciting new science results that have been reported by this mission.