The Earth and Mars Research Network: an end-to-end component of the EARTH MOON MARS Research Infrastructure

The “Earth Moon Mars” (EMM) Research Infrastructure has been established within the framework of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to support scientific activities across multiple domains, particularly in the areas of Planetary Sciences and Earth Observation. EMM is conceived as a distributed research ecosystem articulated into a set of complementary elements, including an upgrade of the Sardinia Radio Telescope aimed at extending its reception capabilities to deep-space signals, an initiative addressing feasibility studies and prototypical developments for a lunar outpost and Moon-based instrumentation for Universe and Earth observation, and the Earth and Mars Research Network (EMN), which provides an integrated system specifically designed to enable long-term observational, modelling, and data integration capabilities across Earth and planetary science domains. EMM is the outcome of a joint effort involving the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the National Research Council (CNR), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), which contribute distinct but synergistic expertise and assets.

At the time of writing, the EMM Research Infrastructure is evolving from an initial construction and consolidation phase toward a fully operational configuration. Within this context, the present contribution focuses on the EMN component, realized as  a composite and distributed system that implements an end-to-end scientific workflow, ranging from observations to modelling activities. EMN integrates heterogeneous elements including hardware facilities, software environments, data resources, and consolidated scientific and technological know-how. Its architecture supports the full observational and analytical chain, encompassing calibration and validation of satellite data, radiative transfer modelling, data fusion approaches, data assimilation systems, and meteorological and climate models applicable to both terrestrial and planetary atmospheres.

A central aspect of EMN lies in its capacity to promote interaction and cross-fertilization between Earth Observation and Planetary Sciences communities. This interaction is pursued through the integration of observational assets and modelling tools, as well as through the harmonization of methodologies and workflows that are traditionally developed within separate disciplinary contexts. In this sense, EMN provides a structure in which observational data and modelling activities are jointly exploited, enabling consistent interpretation and enhanced scientific use of multi-source datasets.

The contribution outlines how the various EMN segments have been progressively developed during the course of the EMM project These include observational infrastructures, modelling and simulation environments, data processing and analysis chains, and knowledge-based components supporting interpretation and scientific exploitation. Together, these elements form an integrated system designed to operate across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
EMN is expected to enter its operational phase in 2026 and will be made available to the international scientific community for at least a decade, supporting a wide range of Earth and planetary science applications. While operating as an autonomous component, EMN remains tightly integrated with the other elements of the EMM Research Infrastructure, contributing to its overall coherence and long-term sustainability.