ABSTRACT
The study of the martian atmosphere and ionosphere will be continued by the Phobos probe. Meanwhile, a lander will be detached from the main body of the spacecraft and will be propelled the few metres to the surface, where a pyrotechnic charge will fire a spike into the soil to anchor it. It consists of a basic spacecraft onto which the various instruments, probes, landers and sub-systems needed for particular missions can be mounted. In 1986 the Solar System Exploration Committee published their second report, Planetary Exploration Through Year 2000. A network of surface stations could provide seismic data which could determine the internal structure, and also long-term meteorological data. A sensible compromise may be to divide the areas of responsibilities, so that, for instance, the Americans might build the lander and the rover and the Russians the Orbiter and the Earth Return Vehicle.
