[Canadian Space Agency]. The presence of methane on Mars could provide important clues about the red planet’s past and present, including whether it may once have supported life. By studying methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere, scientists hope to better understand how the planet has changed over time and what is happening there today.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) recently awarded a contract to Quebec City-based ABB Inc. to further develop an instrument that could detect trace amounts of methane directly in Mars’s atmosphere. Known as the Martian Atmospheric Gas Evolution Experiment – Inter-Cavity Optical Spectroscopy (MAGE-ICOS), it could help scientists better understand the presence of methane on our neighbouring planet.
Although signals suggesting the presence of methane on Mars have been detected, its sources and the processes behind it are still not fully understood, making it one of the planet’s biggest scientific mysteries. More frequent measurements near the surface could help scientists answer these questions.
Building on previous CSA-funded work, ABB will refine and test the instrument’s technology, reduce measurement noise, and improve its sensitivity under conditions representative of the Martian atmosphere. The company will also develop and test a prototype to demonstrate the instrument’s performance. This work will help strengthen Canada’s capabilities in planetary science and bring this Canadian instrument one step closer to a potential contribution to future international missions to Mars.
ABB’s contract, valued at approximately $1.5 million, was awarded through the CSA’s Space Technology Development Program, which drives innovation and helps advance capabilities and competitiveness of Canadian space companies, positioning them to pursue new commercial opportunities and respond to national priorities.
Astrobiology,
