The Inukshuk mission addresses the search for hydrated mineralogy and subsurface water sites that can provide evidence of past or present life using an innovative landed rover.
The current Martian surface conditions are relatively inhospitable to carbon-based organic life:
Average diurnal temperature ranges from 170 K to 268 K,
A relatively low air pressure of about 7.4 to 10 mbar consisting of almost 95% CO2 and negligible ozone to moderate the incident UV portion of the Solar radiation.
The intense UV effectively sterilizes the surface.
Instrumentation for Mars has relatively severe restrictions on mass, power and data transmission rates.
The Mission cost effectiveness is achieved through a synergistic instrument suite based on mature patented MPBC miniaturization technologies that enable high IR spectral measurement performance with minimal mass and power.
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