The international package for scientific experiments (IPSE) for Mars surveyor program Original Research Article

IPSE is a micro-laboratory for Mars soil and environment analysis. It provides the capability to serve and handle scientific miniaturised instruments accommodated inside its envelope. The instruments have the goal to perform in situ study of the collected martian samples, thus quantitatively characterizing the mineralogy, the composition, the microphysical structure of the materials of the Martian soils down to the depth available to the sampling mechanism. Given the complex structure of the surface material it will be essential to perform in-situ science, both at the surface and at different depths. This is done in order to validate remote sensing observations through specific measurements, identify local characteristics of the selected landing areas, document sample collection both for in situ and sample return. IPSE is an example of a small and flexible lab, that can be integrated on different Landers and Megarovers. IPSE contains: • Scientific instruments • A small robotic arm - with five degrees of freedom - to provide samples to the IPSE instruments. • Power conditioning. • Electronics for system and thermal control, communications and instrument data handling. The Phase A report for all the IPSE instruments has been already provided to the Italian Space Agency. The experiments MAGO, IRMA, MA_FLUX are inherited from previous space qualified instruments and breadboards of them already exist. DOSE is a new experiment, however, a breadboard of the detector and of the photomultiplier is under development.