Annexure - 3

MSM: Payload Features

MSM was designed to measure extremely small concentration of methane gas in the planetary atmosphere. It is a differential radiometer based on Fabry-Perot Etalon (FPE) filter which measures solar radiation reflected from planetary surface in the short wave infrared (SWIR) region. An FPE filter transmits light at extremely narrow, well defined spectral bands which are evenly spaced in the frequency domain. FPE filter of MSM is designed in such a way that its transmission peaks coincide with six prominent absorption lines of methane gas in the SWIR region. Since radiation is measured only at absorption line positions rather than over a wide spectral band, MSM is very sensitive to variations in gas concentration.

To retrieve gas concentration, the radiance measured by the sensor needs to be corrected for ground reflectance and atmospheric scattering. Conventionally, it is done by measuring radiance in a broad reference channel which is away from gaseous absorption bands. Since ground reflectance and atmospheric scattering depends on wavelength, it is not possible to correct the data fully. The new sensor design of MSM innovatively circumvents this problem by making use of another FPE filter in the reference channel with its transmission peaks falling just outside the absorption lines. Therefore methane absorption in reference channel is negligible where as ground reflectance and atmospheric scattering remains same.

Annexure - 4

Specifications of MOM-LAP

LAP instrument is developed on the absorption gas cell based photometry technique that operates on the principle of resonant scattering and resonance absorption. It comprises a set of tungsten filaments furnished ultra-pure [99.999 %] hydrogen and deuterium gas cells that serve as narrow-band rejection filters at their hydrogen and deuterium Lyman-a wavelengths, respectively. The functional specifications of instrument are presented in the following Table. LAP can function in two modes i.e., i) Photometer mode in which the incoming line-of-sight photon flux within the spectral bandwidth [8 nm] of the Lyman alpha filter is measured without activating the filaments in gas cells. This mode of operation is useful to assess the hydrogen distribution as a function of altitude (generation radial profiles) as MOM goes through different layers of the Martian atmosphere. ii) Absorption cell mode in which, filaments of deuterium and hydrogen gas cells are activated in a cyclic manner to record the relative signal contribution, from which the D/H ratio can be estimated employing the calibration and normalization factors derived from ground based experiments.

Salient Features of LAP instrument

LAP On-board Operations around Mars

LAP is operated in the Martian orbit around the best possible sun-lit peri-apsis in order to register the Martian exospheric line-of-sight hydrogen and deuterium Lyman-alpha brightness in photometer and absorption cell mode, as well as operated at several thousand of kilometres away from Mars (~70,000 km) in order to measure the background counts. So far LAP is operated for more than 50 times in the Martian orbit and there have been few special operations during which the field of view (FOV) of LAP is aligned to see UV-stars in order to perform on-board photometric calibration.

Annexure - 5

Specifications of MOM-MENCA

MENCA: Payload Features

MENCA is a transmission type quadrupole neutral mass spectrometer with open source ionizer that uses 70 eV electrons to ionize the ambient neutrals. The mass filtering is accomplished by the Quadrupole Mass Analyser (QMA). MENCA is equipped with a Channel Electron Multiplier (CEM) and a Faraday Cup (FC) detector. The instrument is operated at different mass scan rates and different bias voltages of the CEM detector in order to meet required scientific objectives. MENCA is also eqippped with a Bayard-Alpert Gauge to measure the total pressure. Following Table summarises the functional specifications of MENCA.

Functional specifications of MENCA

MENCA: Observations around Mars

MENCA is operated in the Martian orbit around the peri-apsis in order to study the Martian neutral exosphere as well as at several thousand kilometers away from Mars in order to understand the nature of the background. So far MENCA is operated for more than 200 times in the Martian orbit. There have been few special operations during which the Field Of View (FOV) of MENCA is aligned along the velocity vector of the MOM spacecraft in order to study the Martian exosphere with maximum efficiency.

Annexure - 6

Data products from MCC, TIS and MSM

Standard data products of MCC:

Level 1B : Radiance product PDS format

Level 1C : Geo-referenced (Radiometrically and geometrically corrected) product PDS format

Standard data products of MSM:

Level 1B : Radiance product in Methane and Reference Channels in PDS format

Standard data products of TIS:

Level 1B : Radiance product in 7-13 µm range PDS format

Standard Data products of MENCA:

Data products are mass spectra in the mass range 1 to 300 amu with unit mass resolution. The data structure is [time, mass, number of samples, raw partial pressure] and [Time, raw total pressure]. Calibration factors will be provided separately along with SPICE kernels for ancillary data processing.

Standard Data products of LAP:

Level-0 : Raw payload data along with the ancillary information, which includes ephemeris and attitude in PDS format.

Level-1 : Corrected / Calibrated Data in PDS format.

Annexure - 7

Cover Page of the Proposal

Title of the Proposal

Name and Designation of PI

Telephone, Fax and E-mail Address

Name of Institution with full Address including e-mail and phone/FAX no

Signature of PI with Date

Signature of Head of Institution

Announcement of Opportunity (AO) proposal
Submitted to Space Applications Centre /
Space Physics Laboratory / Laboratory for
Electro-Optics Systems, ISRO on

Annexure - 8

Format of the Proposal

1. Title of the Proposal:

2. Name of the Principal Investigator:

Institution;
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Mailing Address:

3. Summary of the proposed work

4. Details on the preliminary work done/background experience, if any

5. List of Publications in the related field

6. Description of the project

• Theme
• Objectives
• Study area (latitude/ longitude)
• Type of data products required (season(s), periodicity and number)
• Methodology
• Schedule/Quarterly mile stones
• Expected results and its possible uses

7. Name of Co-investigator(s) in the AO project (please include bio-data of all Investigators)

8. Whether any collaboration with payload team is required, if yes, provide details?

9. Extent of Financial support needed from ISRO for executing the work within the shortest possible time (Provide item wise and year wise breakup in table form)

10. Available facilities and equipment at your institution

Annexure - 9

Format for Declaration

Declaration

We have carefully read the terms and conditions of Announcement of Opportunity for utilizing Mars Orbiter Mission data from MCC/ TIS / MSM / LAP/ MENCA (strike out whichever is not applicable) payloads (MOM-AO) programme and agree to abide by them.

It is certified that if the AO proposal is accepted and supported by ISRO, the facilities as identified in the proposal and administrative support available at our institution and needed to execute the project will be extended to the Principal Investigator and other Co-Investigators.

We certify that the data products provided would be used only for the intended AO project.

It is agreed that data products will be returned to ISRO in case the AO project does not progress / complete as scheduled.

Signature of PI with Name and Designation

Signature of Head of Institution with Name and Designation

Date:

Seal of Head of Institution