Modelling the performances of the WISDOM radar on the Oxia Planum potential landing site for ExoMars

International audienceThe search for evidence of past or present life is the main objective of the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars rover mission [1]. The rover will be equipped with a suite of instruments dedicated to the investigation and characterization of the surface and shallow subsurface of Mars. In particular, a drill will provide, for the first time, ground samples from a depth of approximately 2 meters and a Ground Penetrating Radar named WISDOM (Water Ice Subsurface Deposit Observations on Mars) will map the shallow subsurface down to a depth of a few meters revealing its stratigraphy and structure, and thus providing invaluable insights into its origin and geological history. A review of the candidate sites for the ExoMars rover mission has been conducted and four landing sites have been preselected [2] among which the Oxia Planum site (Fig. 1)