The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS): concept and performance

Describes the key features and expected performance of a new radar sounder instrument currently under development by a team of Italian and US researchers and industrial partners, selected to fly with the ESA Mars Express orbiter scheduled for launch to Mars late in 2003. Very low transmitted frequency (1-5 MHz), large instantaneous bandwidth and coherent on-board processing techniques will make it possible to acquire a large amount of science-relevant data about the Mars interior, surface and atmosphere ensuring global coverage at all latitudes while respecting the Mars Express mission constraints.