Reference: LMD/AOPP 05/97

Date: 20 May 1997

Proposal for Extension to ESA Contract 11369/95/NL/JG: Martian Environment Models

F. Forget, C. Hourdin, F. Hourdin and O. Talagrand

M. Collins, S.R. Lewis, P.L. Read and F.W. Taylor

Introduction

This proposal requests new funding to support an extension to the European Space Agency Contract No. 11369/95/NL/JG, Martian Environment Models, which has been undertaken jointly by Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique of CNRS/Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France (hereafter LMD) and Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (hereafter AOPP). Under the original contract an advanced general circulation model of the Martian atmosphere was developed and sets of multi-annual simulations were conducted by both contractors in order to compile a database of climate statistics for use in future engineering studies. The final version of the model, database, software to access the database and related documentation are to be delivered at the end of the contract period. This proposal seeks further support in order to test, review and improve the products of the first contract, as well as providing and updating documentation, including via the World Wide Web, which may help users to access the database and to interpret the results more effectively. Wherever corrections and improvements to the original model and database software come to light as a result of further testing and initial use, corrected software will be made available to ESA and installed at the end of the extended contract period.

General Information

The following work packages, in two deliverable stages, are proposed to be added to the existing ESA Contract for delivery in 1997. The packages are proposed to improve and to extend the Martian General Circulation Model and Climate Database developed under that contract.

The General Conditions (Part II) of the original contract will continue to apply without further changes.

The final presentation meeting of the current contract will become a milestone presentation meeting for the delivery of Work Package 3 and will also serve as the first progress meeting for the contract extension. The deliverables for this contract extension, which are in addition to those to be delivered under the current contract, are summarized below. Although it is clearly necessary for much of the work to be conducted in close collaboration between the contractors, one contractor has been identified as taking primary responsibility for each area of work.