Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Space
  • /
  • Validair supplies airborne particle counter for studying Mars soil

Space

Validair supplies airborne particle counter for studying Mars soil

Was there life on Mars? Amongst the excitement of space missions to the Red Planet, successful landings and the deployment of the Mars Rover, it’s easy to forget that the vital analysis of samples retrieved from the surface will take place here, on our Blue Planet.



Image courtesy Validair

In preparation for the return of soil samples, the University of Leicester has designed a new doublewalled  isolator to provide a super‐sterile research and analysis environment, protecting the  invaluable Martian material from earthly contaminants. That protection will be constantly  monitored by a TSI AeroTrak 9110‐01 Airborne Particle Counter supplied by Validair Monitoring  Solutions Ltd.

The entire Mars project looks to the future, in more ways than one. With these extra‐terrestrial 

Advertisement
Leonardo animated rectangle
exploration projects spanning many years, planning is crucial. Even though soil samples from the  surface of Mars are not expected back on Earth for 10 years, the new isolator, its instruments  including the Validair APC, and the research facilities will be ready and validated. Some of the  students at the University’s Space Park working on project preparations today will be fully qualified 
Advertisement
Tritax 300x250
research scientists by the time the analysis process begins. At that point, we can expect to be closer  to answering the question: was there life on Mars?

 

 

Advertisement
Tritax leaderboard 728x90 Tritax leaderboard 728x90
Pulsar Fusion wins support from ESA

Space

Pulsar Fusion wins support from ESA

5 December 2025

Bletchley based Pulsar Fusion has won an 18 month contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to advance its Hall-Effect Thruster technology in preparation for future space missions.

UK Space Agency invests £17m to drive space innovation

Space Events

UK Space Agency invests £17m to drive space innovation

4 December 2025

The UK Space Agency unveiled £17 million for 17 UK space projects through its National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), at Space-Comm Expo in Glasgow.

British designed satellites successfully launched

Defence Security Space

British designed satellites successfully launched

3 December 2025

A cluster of British designed and built satellites has been successfully launched into low Earth orbit, providing defence, security and civil sectors with UK space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to enhance the nation’s ability to protect against modern threats.

Filtronic awarded NSIP funding to develop 550W Ka-Band SSPA

Space

Filtronic awarded NSIP funding to develop 550W Ka-Band SSPA

3 December 2025

Filtronic has been awarded funding through the UK Space Agency National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) to develop a high-power 550W Ka-Band Solid-State Power Amplifier (SSPA).

Advertisement
ODU RT
Scottish space sector secures UK Space Agency investment

Space Events

Scottish space sector secures UK Space Agency investment

3 December 2025

Scotland’s space sector will receive a major funding boost to accelerate breakthrough technologies and boost commercialisation, the UK Space Agency will announce today at Space-Comm Expo Scotland.

Airbus

Space

Airbus' ESM-4 ships out for Artemis IV

1 December 2025

Airbus' fourth European Service Module (ESM-4) has reached a major milestone, as it began its journey last week to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for Artemis IV.

Advertisement
Leonardo animated rectangle