Abstract
Since Schiaparelli 1877 observed a dense network of linear structures on the surface of Mars and since a misleading translation of these observed “canali” led to various assumptions about life on Mars, habitability is one of the foremost topics in the current research on Mars. The Mars Simulation Facility (MSF) established at German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Berlin has been designed to simulate Martian environmental conditions in terms of pressure (1–1,060 hPa), temperature (−70 to +130 °C), humidity (−46 °C frost point (FP) to −101 °C FP at 7 hPa), light (150 W Xenon lamp emitting in the range of 250–2,190 nm with calibrated intensity), and gas composition (up to five constituents). The MSF is used to investigate as well the impact of such conditions on extremophile organisms as to support the development and design of experiment hardware (e.g., sensors) under Martian conditions. Here, we review the scientific and measurement requirements for habitability-related experiments and show how these requirements have been met with the current MSF design.
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