Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery

Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD)
OperatorEuropean Space Agency
ManufacturerBelgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
Instrument typespectrometer
Functionatmospheric composition
Mission durationPlanned: 7 years[1][2]
Elapsed: 8 years, 7 months, 24 days
Began operations9 April 2018 [3]
Properties
Mass28.86 kg[4]
Spectral bandUV to visible
Host spacecraft
SpacecraftExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
OperatorESA
Launch date14 March 2016, 09:31 (2016-03-14UTC09:31) UTC
RocketProton-M/Briz-M
Launch siteBaikonur 200/39
COSPAR ID2016-017A

Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) is a 3-channel spectrometer on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) launched to Mars orbit on 14 March 2016.

NOMAD is designed to perform high-sensitivity orbital identification of atmospheric components, concentration and temperature, their sources, loss, and cycles. It measures the sunlight reflected from the surface and atmosphere of Mars, and it analyses its wavelength spectrum to identify the components of the Martian atmosphere that may suggest a biological source. The Principal Investigator is Ann Carine Vandaele, from the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium.

  1. ^ "ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Schiaparelli Mission (2016)". European Space Agency. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  2. ^ Allen, Mark A.; Witasse, Olivier (2011). 2016 ESA/NASA ExoMARS/Trace Gas Orbiter. Mars Exploration Program Assessment Group. 15–16 June 2011. Lisbon, Portugal. hdl:2014/42148.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference esa20180409 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Neefs, Eddy; et al. (2015). "NOMAD spectrometer on the ExoMars trace gas orbiter mission: Part 1—design, manufacturing and testing of the infrared channels". Applied Optics. 54 (28): 8494–8920. Bibcode:2015ApOpt..54.8494N. doi:10.1364/AO.54.008494. hdl:2268/228584. PMID 26479628.