| Techniques pioneered by the European Space | | | | first moves towards you then away from you. |
| Agency (ESA) for use on Mars are set to have a | | | | This new study is meeting with success and opens |
| very down to earth use here on planet Earth and | | | | the doors for even more precise instruments that |
| beyond to the Icy moon Europa, circling the Gas Giant | | | | could work around Earth. A satellite fitted with this type |
| Jupiter as well as another Ice moon Titan, the biggest | | | | of radar could accurately estimate the ice sheet |
| of Saturns Moons. | | | | thickness of the Antarctic and other ice covered |
| ESA's Mars Express has aboard some pioneering | | | | regions. The data coming back would reveal the |
| radar experiment currently investigating the Red Planet | | | | three-dimensional internal structure of the ice sheets, |
| and searching for any evidence of sub-surface | | | | the contours of the underlying terrain and give |
| reservoirs of water and ice. | | | | information right down to the bedrock. Watching how |
| The technology used by Mars express cannot be | | | | this changes over time will give climate scientists |
| used directly here on earth, as the frequency of 5 Mhz | | | | invaluable data. |
| used for Mars would quickly interfere with radio | | | | Currently work such as this is largely done by |
| communications. | | | | expensive and difficult drilling programs. |
| Experiments are currently underway to adapt the | | | | As we all hear in the news day after day, melting ice |
| technology for use at 435 Mhz where the radar will | | | | from the polar regions is set to have a huge impact on |
| not cause disruption to earth based communications. | | | | climate change |
| So what are these experiments all about ? | | | | The most recent example of this is the large scale |
| In a boost for earth science research, funded by | | | | break up of the Ross ice shelf in Antarctica. |
| ESA's General Studies Program, the new study has | | | | The ACRAS study is set to conclude in October this |
| been dubbed the Advanced Concept for RAdar | | | | year. Although a fully-fledged satellite mission is a long |
| Sounder (ACRAS) | | | | way off yet. Florence Hélière, the ESA |
| This technique has been proposed once before by | | | | study officer, says, "We hope to conduct an airborne |
| ESA in the late 90's, however at that time the | | | | test of the technique." Source: ESA. |
| technology was not available to filter out false signals. | | | | As you go out to gaze up at the night sky, looking at |
| These false signals come firstly from the earths | | | | the prominent planets Mars and Saturn in the early |
| Ionosphere and then secondly from terrain outside the | | | | evening and Jupiter late in the evening. Spare a thought |
| radar's target area. | | | | for the hardworking scientists who have made it |
| ACRAS appears to have found a way around this | | | | possible for this pioneering work to be done. |
| problem by the use of multiple radar beams, in this | | | | Not only could this make a real difference to our |
| case 3 beams, each with slightly different properties, | | | | understanding of the effects of climate change here |
| using the principles of the Doppler effect . | | | | on the lovely blue green planet we call home, it could |
| The Doppler effect is best demonstrated by the | | | | unlock the doors to the search for life in our own solar |
| changing pitch of siren on a fast moving vehicle, as it | | | | system. |