Ground testing of the ejection of the ARCHIMEDES balloon (folding rig in the background). After this test, the balloon was folded and inserted into its container ready for a parabolic flight test.
For over 200 years, humanity has known that Mars has an atmosphere, but it was not until recently that our understanding of the composition, temperature, and other aspects of the red planet’s atmosphere became clearer.
But a GSTP activity with the Mars Society Deutschland, hopes to change that. The activity has developed a balloon probe to float slowly down through its descent into the Martian atmosphere, taking measurements as it goes. The ARCHIMEDES (Aerial Robot Carrying High resolution Imaging, Magnetometer Experiment and Direct Environmental Sensors) probe consists of a 10 kg instrument pod attached to a 14.4m long balloon.