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Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions Science Instrument of Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

MEDA of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – part 2

Radiation and Dust sensors

The radiation and dust sensor assembly for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s MEDA is located on the top deck. Our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the appearance structure of the radiation and dust sensor assembly but they won’t be actual sensors.  This Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s MEDA’s radiation and dust sensor assembly consists of photodetectors and a charge-coupled device, and the purpose is to study the characteristics of the Martian dust, such as its shape, size, or opacity. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA inherited a lot of features from previous space missions.

For example, from the Curiosity Rover mission, the rover environmental monitoring station (REMS) is applied on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. It is a set of sensors that are designed to work and collect information on a low atmosphere, which includes air and ground temperature sensors, wind sensors, humidity and pressure sensors, and a photometer.

From the Mars MetNet Lander Mission, the solar irradiance sensor (MetSIS) is inherited. Mars is a cold planet compared to our Earth. Moreover, the entry, descent, and landing process for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover are extremely bumpy. Both harsh conditions could potentially affect the sensors. Therefore, this sensor is specially designed so that it can endure the landing impact and also operate normally at low temperatures. It consists of 32 detecting elements in 11 spectral bands. The sample rate and channels to be sample can both be manually and autonomously configured.

From the ExoMars 2016 Lander mission, DREAMS, which is short for Dust characterization, Risk assessment, and Environment Analyzer on the Martian Surface is inherited to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s version of DREAMS has 7 detectors. These detectors are arranged so that a 360 ° azimuth is possible.

From the Mars Exploration Rover Misson and Mars Science Laboratory mission. the HazCams is applied to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover and now is renamed as SkyCam on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.

Our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the appearance structures of the REMS, MetSIS, DREAMS, and the HazCam, though they won’t have the functions as the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA’s radiation and dust sensors are the first set of sensors that are specially for studying the sun brightness and dust conditions. This will help scientists model the atmospheric conditions of Mars and prepare for human exploration in the future.

Categories
Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions Science Instrument of Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

MEDA of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – part 1

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA is short for the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer. You may think of it as a weather station, which essentially is a set of sensors for measuring and collecting mainly the following information:

  1. wind speed
  2.  wind direction
  3. temperature
  4. pressure
  5. humidity
  6. amount of dust particles
  7. size of dust particles
  8. radiation

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA has several components and they are located in multiple locations on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover:

  1. on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s mast’s neck
  2. on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s top deck
  3.  on the front left and right sides of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s body
  4.  on the interior of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s body

Our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the MEDA instrument’s appearance structure but there will not be any actual sensors and it is not a real weather station. 

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA’s sensors are air temperature sensors, radiation, and dust sensor, relative humidity sensor, thermal infrared sensor, wind sensors, and instrument control unit sensors. With these sensors, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA will be able to work as a weather station, not only to study the atmospheric condiction of Mars but also to predict Mars’s future weather. This has great meaning because one day, there is a chance humans will set foot on Mars, and they will need to know daily weather reports just like we do on Earth.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA has a mass of 5.5kg or 12 lbs. and the maximum power it will consume is 17W which depends on the scale of the measurements. Our Mars Rover Replica‘s MEDA will be half the size as the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MEDA, but the weight is not half the weight. We aim to find materials that are strong but lightweight for that. 

If you are interested in our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, you can check out [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].