NASA plans to take Migro-g's absolute gravity gradiometer to Mars. Micro-g has been commissioned to design, build and test a prototype space-born gradiometer system for NASA in a joint research project with Maline Space Science Systems.

The absolute gravity gradiometer is the only geophysical instrument capable of providing detailed information about the gravity field to remote planets during unmanned exploration applications. Gravity information is crucial to understanding the origin and contents of the subsurface of distant planets.

Micro-g's absolute gravity gradiometer was recently included as an integral part of the Mars Airborne Geophysical Explorer (MAGE) payload which seeks to determine the geophysical origins of the Valle Marineris, the Solar System's largest canyon system.

The absolute gravity gradiometer was initially designed for oil production and exploration applications. Micro-g, a division of Scintrex, is currently working on a smaller version of this instrument for NASA's future planetary exploration endeavours. The prototype should be developed by early 2001.

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