Another dust storm is brewing on Mars
The IFA Mars Group participates in a new research project on mars dust. ROADMAP (ROle and impAct of Dust and clouds in the Martian AtmosPhere) - a brand new international research program supported by the EC Horizon 2020 has just started with participating groups from Belgium, Germany, Spain and Denmark.
Previous dust storm building up on Mars. Photo: NASA
Over three years the research groups are to study the dust on Mars in details. Martian dust is able to enter almost anywhere, it is electrically conducting and another just published paper indicates that the dust storms have been responsible for Mars loosing the main part of the water from the surface. The Mars Tank in the basement under IFA will be used helping us to improve our knowledge of how the dust forms and what special properties it has.