The European Space Agency has awarded GMV the project for designing and developing the GNC system for the Phobos Sample Return mission during the approach operations around Phobos, the bigger of Mars’s two moons.

The purpose of the Phobos Sample Return mission is to bring Phobian soil samples back to Earth and develop the critical technologies required for the Mars Sample Return mission. The activity is a part of the Mars Robotic Exploration Preparation-2 Programme, an ESA program that aims to prepare Europe for future international collaboration in the exploration of Mars.

Guidance, navigation and control (GNC) systems and related engineering and technology have always formed part of GMV’s core skills. GMV is now one of European space industry’s most prestigious GNC firms, boasting the capability of developing and integrating complete onboard guidance, navigation and control systems. Project activity, focusing on descent and landing phases, will be carried out by GMV’s Poland subsidiary with the help of GMV Spain. 

As with other missions like Marco Polo and Lunar Lander, the GNC system will be based on onboard visual navigation and will be an evolution of the system developed in the scope of NEOGNC activity. Due to irregular gravitational potential around Phobos, however (Mars wields a greater attractive force than Phobos during a good part of the descent), and also the landing constraints, the developed GNC system includes diverse strategies to give Earth controllers multiple options for achieving mission targets.

GMV has by now built up a huge pool of knowledge and expertise during many years of ongoing learning and application to a significant number of GNC activities for ESA plus a growing number of ESA missions, such as PROBA-3, IXV, Mars Sample Return and Lunar Lander.