Mars Lander Radio Science - LaRa
Our Lander Radioscience (LaRa) is the first scientific instrument made in Belgium to ever land on the surface of Mars. It’s part of the ExoMars 2020 Mission. The LaRa instrument will receive a radio signal sent from Earth and beam it back from the Mars surface.
First scientists analyse the characteristics of the radio signal received on Earth. Then they’re able to measure the planet’s rotation with an unprecedented accuracy, thus inferring the characteristics of its interior. Overall, LaRa helps us understand the internal structure of Mars. And why Mars and the Earth did not evolve similarly.
On top of that, the data gathered by LaRa allows us to investigate the influence of the redistribution of masses. For example: the migration of ice from the polar caps to the atmosphere and its impact on the rotation of Mars.