Spotlight on Outreach – HABIT Tour of Sweden

This “Spotlight on Outreach” feature showcases how the Group of Atmospheric Science (GAS) from Luleå Tekniska Universitet is spreading the excitement of their involvement in ExoMars 2020’s HABIT instrument through a new touring exhibition around Sweden .

The 2020 mission of the ExoMars Programe will deliver a European rover and a Russian surface platform to the surface of Mars in 2020. ExoMars will be the first mission to combine the capability to move across the martian surface to search for signs of life and to study Mars at depth by drilling for samples. HABIT, designed by Group of Atmospheric Science (GAS) from Luleå Tekniska Universitet, is one of the main scientific instruments on the Surface Platform module. HABIT will provide environmental information at the landing site, investigate liquid water formation on Mars, and test an “In-Situ Resource Utilization” technology for future Mars exploration.

The outreach team at GAS has created an exhibit about HABIT that will tour around Sweden during 2018-2019 to raise awareness of the instrument and inspire different audiences with the dream of space exploration. The tour aims to involve communities across the country and share the values involved in creating HABIT, such as innovation, creativity, curiosity, and cutting-edge technology.

The HABIT Tour provides a new and fresh kind of learning experience to improve engagement with space and STEM subjects for the general public, and in particular to encourage young people to consider scientific and technological careers.

The HABIT Tour launches on 15th November 2018 and will visit the following locations over the next 12 months: