Mars Society Switzerland

“But what is doing this atomic clock hovering above the surface of Mars and, furthermore, one which is being used by the Galileo system ?!”

The answer is that measuring time to its most minute fractions is essential for a satisfactory control of all space missions and therefore for Mars missions. Trajectories are computed according to time, time of the Earth relative to the Sun and to Mars, time to destination when making adjustments of trajectories, time of descending vessels relative to the distance to the surface of the planets, and so on.

The European Mars Convention 2018, for short “EMC18” will be hosted by “Musée International d’Horlogerie”, which is a kind of global “temple of Time”. As it should be, it is located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the heart of the clock making Swiss country. This is where such atomic clocks as the one shown here are conceived and made and, as it should be, they are the best in the world (as any Swiss-made clock should be). They are used wherever they need to be and, for sure, they will be used on Mars.

Time will be the thread along which we will run our EMC18 presentations and discussions, as it is present and essential in all our various fields of interest and we will cover all these fields, either in the domain of Engineering or in that of Research (full program to follow). This explains our theme :

Robots and Men on Mars under the look of Time

Our sponsors

Space-X

Le Space Exploration Institute ou Space-X est un institut de recherche basé à Neuchâtel dont les caméras voyagent dans notre système solaire depuis plus de 10 ans.

BCN

Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise, a special commitment to the Canton's development through the support of economy and innovation.

Spectratime

Spectratime designs, manufactures and markets a full range of high-performance atomic cloks and clock testing systems. See more...

MIH

The International Watchmaking Museum's mission ("Musée International d'Horlogerie") is to collect and preserve objects relating to time, its measurement and watchmaking in general.

Trax-L

Trax-L Website creation agency for more than 20 years. Photo Agency for more than 30 years

EMC18 - Convention Program

Presentation of Speakers:

Theodore Besson

Lausanne Uni., Managing Director and Chief Science Officer of ESTEE, specialist of bio-regenerative life support systems (MELiSSA, Oïkosmos, FIPES).
Tomaso Bontognali

Geobiologist, bIosignature expert, CLUPI science validation manager at Space Exploration Inst. Neuchatel
Pierre Brisson

Founder of the Mars Society Switzerland ("MSS"); member of the Board of Association planète Mars ("APM"); founding member of TMS
Michel Cabane

Exobiologist, specialist in gaseous phase elements (UPMC, LATMOS, IPSL) co-PI of SAM laboratory (Curiosity)
Olivia Haider

Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), member of the board, Social Media & science communicator, participation in several Mars analog simulations

Jean-Luc Josset

Astronomer, founder of the Space Exploration Institute, Neuchatel. Principal Investigator of CLUPI Close-up Imager (ExoMars rover 2020)
Pierre-André Haldi

EPFL, engineer, specialist in the analysis of sustainable energy systems and risk management analysis (natural and industrial)
Richard Heidmann

Ecole Polytechnique Paris / SUPAERO, engineer in space propulsion (SNECMA), founder ot Association Planete Mars (French Mars Society)
Jürgen Herholz

Senior Space Engineer for ESA, manned flight specialist (Spacelab, Eureca, Hermes and Columbus), founder of the Mars Society Deutschland
Maxime Lenormand

Fourth year engineering student at IPSA (Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées, Toulouse, France).interest for EDL

Philippe Lognonné

Université Paris-Diderot, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris. Professor in Geophysics and Planetology, Principal Investigator SEIS sismometer (InSIGHT).
Roland Loos

EPFL electrical engineer, telecommunication specialist, CEO of Solarstratos, the Swiss aircraft aiming to appproach Space using solar energy, member of the MSS.
Antonio del Mastro

Engineer (Napoli Uni.), president of Mars Planet, Italian Member of the Mars Society, Developer of Mars City Research Center.
Gaetano Mileti

Associate Professor Physics Institute Uni. Neuchâtel, Research Deputy director of Time and Frequency Laboratory.
Angelo Genovese

Space propulsion engineer at Thales Germany & director at Initiative for Interstellar Studies (I4IS), specialized in Advanced Electric Propulsion.

Antoine Pomerol

Space Research and Planetary Sciences Division, Physics Institute, Uni. Berne. Specialist of mineral hydration of the surface of Mars and of the CaSSIS instrument (TGO).
Pascal Rochat

Engineer and managing director of Spectratime (global leader of high precision clocks with Space applications).
Anna-Marlène Rüede

EPFL graduate, major in Architecture & Space technologies, special interest in space & extreme environment architecture (Prof. Claudio Leonardi).
Jean-Marc Salotti

Computer scientist, Professor in cognitics Bordeaux Uni., member of the International Academy of Astronautics, member of the steering committee of APM
Alain Sandoz

EPFL Computer scientist and information systems engineer, co-inventor of the 0-Gravity watchmaking complication.

Robert Zubrin (Founder of The Mars Society & president of the american Mars Society)
Claude Nicollier (Swiss astronaut & professor at the EPFL)

Theodore Besson (ESTEE)
Tomaso Bontognali (Geobiologist (Space Exploration Institute, Neuchâtel))
Pierre Brisson (MSS, APM)
Michel Cabane (co PI SAM, Curiosity, to be confirmed)
Olivia HaiderAustrian Space Forum (OeWF), member of the board, Social Media & science communicator, participation in several Mars analog simulations
Jean-Luc Josset (Space-X Neuchâtel)
Pierre-André Haldi (EPFL, specialist of sustainable energy systems & risk anlysis)
Richard Heidmann (Association Planète Mars)
Jürgen Herholz (ESA, Hermes Shuttle, MS Germany)
Maxime Lenormand (IPSA)
Philippe Lognonné (InSIGHT, University Paris-Diderot)
Roland Loos (Solarstratos)
Antonio del Mastro (Italian Mars Society)
Gaetano Mileti (Uni Neuchâtel)
Angelo Genovese (Space propulsion engineer at Thales Germany & director at Initiative for Interstellar Studies (I4IS))
Antoine Pommerol (Berne University, Department of Space research and Planetary Sciences)
Pascal Rochat (Managing-director of Spectratime)
Anne-Marlène Rüede (EPFL)
Jean-Marc Salotti (APM & Uni. Bordeaux)
Alain Sandoz (EPFL)
Mitko Tanevski (Engineering Expert, CLUPI (ExoMars))

CaSSIS (TGO)

ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (“TGO”) is an interplanetary probe developed by the European Space Agency placed in orbit around the planet Mars to study the presence and origin of trace quantity gases in the Martian atmosphere, including methane. It will try to determine whether it has a biological origin.

InSight

InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is a NASA mission to Mars, the launch of which is scheduled for May 2018 (window opening on May 5th and closing on June 8th). The purpose of the lander, which is expected to reach Mars on November 26th, is to study the internal structure of the planet. To achieve it, it carries two scientific instruments: a seismometer named “SEIS” and an instrument for measuring the heat flux from the planet's core, “HP3”. Both should provide data on the structure and internal composition of Mars, one of the aspects of the planet that has not been studied directly so far.

Robots and Men on Mars under the look of Time

Debate between: Claude Nicollier, Robert Zubrin, Richard Heidman and Pierre Brisson

Some thoughts to feed the discussion:

From the point of view of Time, three difficulties to the detriment of Mars with respect to the Moon:

1) The launch window only opens every 26 months on the way out and every 18 months on the way back
2) It is not currently possible to envisage a trip of less than 4 months (rather 6 months)
3) The distance hence the speed of light impose a communication-lag of 2x3 to 2x23 minutes

But the communication-lag favors the permanent inhabited base objective (immediate action/reaction) ... and demands the maximum use of local resources (ISRU) and 3D printing therefore a move towards autonomy. To acquire it will be long, so better begin now.

Launch technology:
Is there any benefit to moving slowly like NASA with the SLS...
...rather than going fast like Elon Musk with his Falcons? Any NASA program must be completed within 8 years (two presidencies).

We could have initiated inhabited missions to Mars in the 1990s but other choices were made!
Public opinion now favors the treatment of social problems...and it is risk adverse. Nobody can say that 30 years from now, men will have the desire and the will to go out of their cradle