David Mimoun

Some good news at last

C’est bien triste . Sous sa direction l’ESA a fait des trucs incroyables

Roger-Maurice Bonnet, l'ancien directeur du programme scientifique de l'ESA entre 1983 et 2001, est décédé le 19 janvier à l'âge de 88 ans. Astrophysicien, il a participé aux missions Giotto et a approuvé les missions SOHO, XXM-Newton, Rosetta, ...
www.esa.int/About_Us...
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This really matches my impression.

Finally at #AGU25 ! Presentation of Philippe Lognonné of its network of telescopes to detect Moon impacts

Radiation is high, the drilling is deep, and the dust is relentless. But #planetaryscience is worth the trip 🔴✨ #Mars2040 ?

Living off the Land (ISRU). Objective #6: We can't bring everything with us. We have to characterize the ice and regolith to extract water and make propellant. It’s high-stakes chemistry in a harsh environment - And here come the seismometers experiments 😉

Objectives #7 & #10 Can Earth life reproduce there? We need to test if plants (and maybe model animals) can thrive and adapt over generations in 38% gravity. It’s about building a sustainable ecosystem, not just a campsite. Space farming ?

The Human Lab. Objective #4 & #9: **We** are the experiment. How does the "Integrated Martian Environment" (radiation + low gravity + isolation + toxic dust) affect our bodies and minds? We need to survive the trip and the stay without breaking down physiologically or psychologically

Dust, dust, everywhere. Objective #5 is crucial: What triggers those massive, planet-encircling dust storms? They mess with power, lungs, and hardware. We need to understand the physics of the atmosphere to predict when the sky will turn dark #MarsWeather

Mars is a time capsule! Objective #3 focuses on the Geologic Record. As Perseverance did, we need to map the rocks to understand the transition from a wet, potentially habitable world to the dry desert of today. Impacts, volcanoes, ancient lakes the rocks hold the climate secrets of the solar system

The Challenge: To find extant (living) life, we might have to drill DEEP. Like, kilometers deep below the cryosphere where liquid water might still exist. Getting pristine samples from 2-5km down while wearing a spacesuit? #DeepDrilling

Priority #1: The big question. Are We Alone? The top objective is determining if Mars hosts (or hosted) life. We are looking for habitability, prebiotic chemistry, and actual biosignatures. The challenge: Distinguishing Mars life from Earth contaminants.

The National Academies just dropped the Science Strategy for the first human campaigns on the Red Planet. It’s not just a flag-planting trip; it’s a deep dive into the unknown. The science is bold, and the challenges? Absolutely immense. Let’s break it down! 🧵👇 #MarsScience #PlanetaryScience

#planetaryscience ⬇️⬇️⬇️

You can also say that sun never sets on the team ;-)

As reminded by Mark, this experiment involves also our estimated colleagues of JAXA and University of Tokyo !

NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science - NASA Science NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during the Artemis IV mission to the lunar south polar

Kudos to @markpanning.seismology.space ! science.nasa.gov/missions/art....

From the InSight experience on Mars to the lunar South Pole, this instrument brings together CNES, JPL, JAXA, IPGP, ISAE-SUPAERO. Can’t wait to see what the Moon has to tell us when astronauts switch it on! #Artemis #MoonquakesReady

What makes SPSS special? An ultra-sensitive Very Broad Band seismometer @cnes.fr , heritage from InSight on Mars) Three high-precision short-period geophones provided by @isae-supaero.bsky.social and SLB, @ipgp.bsky.social and SLB Together, they’ll give us the sharpest insights of the Moon ever!

Great news for lunar science! 🧑‍🚀🌓🚀 NASA has selected the SPSS payload for the Artemis IV mission (2028) It will be deployed near the Moon’s South Pole to record moonquakes and reveal the deep interior. A proud international effort led by JPL! #ArtemisIV

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁 to those who celebrate!

“Next year Voyager 1 will be one light-day away from Earth”

It hosts at its home an Echelle spectropolarimeter, NeoNarval, stabilized in pressure and temperature since 2019 and hosts an infrared spectropolarimeter, SPIP, copy of the instrument SPIRou (CFHT), almost operational.

The Bernard Lyot Telescope (TBL, diameter 2m), located on the observation platform of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre (Alt 2877m) is a national telescope. It is managed by the Observatoire Midi Pyrénées

The Pic du Midi Observatory is a magical place

PACIS builds on ISAE-SUPAERO’s SSPA Team experience in planetary instrumentation – including our work on Martian missions. It’s a great example of how research and education can contribute directly to space exploration.

Thank you to everyone involved for the hard work ! Next step: Detailed Design!

These data will help better understand atmospheric structure, improve atmospheric models, and support the scientific analysis of future missions.
ollaborative spirit.

PACIS (Platform Atmospheric Characterization Instrumentation Suite) aims to measure pressure, temperature and sound during the Entry, Descent and Landing of ExoMars Entry, Descent And Landing Module.

I’m glad to share that our PACIS instrument has passed its Preliminary Design Review. This confirms that our instrument architecture and technical choices are robust enough to move into detailed design.