The M-Matisse mission marks a groundbreaking step in space exploration as it is first dedicated to studying the weather in Mars’ space and assessing the potential of planets to support human life.
Dr. Beatrice Sanchez Cano of the University of Leicester, along with the lead researchers at the Mars Ensemble (M-EPI) and the Science Data Center for mission coordination, planning and use of science, lead operations to revolutionize Mars’ climate knowledge.
The project will be approved by the European Space Agency (ESA) within next year, allowing important scientific research into the dynamics of the Martian system and helping research into the dangers that astronauts may face on their future journeys to Red Planet.
What is M-Matisse?
Currently, in Phase A research, the M-Matisse (MARS Magnetosphere Atmosphere Ionosphere and Space-Weather Science) mission is one of three candidates for the ESA for the next “medium” mission. Previous Flying Medium Class missions include Solar Orbiter and Euclidean.
The mission aims to use two identical spacecrafts with intensive, highly technical payloads, capable of observing Mars’ spatial weather through observational perspectives.
These robot orbiters are named after French artist Henry Matisse. Henry Mattis is an influential figure of the early 20th century due to his expressive colours and his work in Fauvist style, as well as his daughter Marguerite.
Each capsule operates in a separate area. One is limited to plasma systems, and the other is limited to distant, unexplored areas on Mars.
Weather in the survey space
This mission will unravel the weather in Mars’ space through analysis of the different layers surrounding Earth. The magnetic field region known as the magnetosphere, the ionosphere (the layer of the atmosphere ionized by solar wind), and the thermosphere (the thickest layer in the atmosphere) primarily investigate the accumulation of the surrounding atmosphere and radiation.
By analyzing the dynamics of the Martian system, researchers gain insight into the process of energy dissipation due to solar winds and how spatial activity affects surface reactions.
Sanchez Cano is optimistic about the success of the mission as it “provides the first global feature of the dynamics of the Martian system at all altitudes.”
Towards the lift-off
The successful mission is expected to be selected by the ESA by mid-2026. If approved, M-Matisse will launch a new era of Mars exploration. This not only collects data, robot missions also shape the safety and feasibility of future human expeditions.
By providing detailed images of how solar activity interacts with the Martian environment, the mission provides important insights into the planetary capabilities and challenges that astronauts may face.
Understanding the weather in space around Mars is no longer a theoretical exercise, as space agencies around the world look beyond Earth’s orbit. That is an important need.
With M-Matisse, Europe is at the forefront of this frontier, leveraging cutting-edge instrumentation and international collaboration to decode one of the most complex systems in the solar system.
Whether it protects future astronauts from radiation or determines how Mars evolved over billions of years, M-Matisse’s findings could shape the next chapter of human spaceflight.
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