| Operator | Spanish National Research Council |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Spanish Astrobiology Center (CSIC-INTA) |
| Instrument type | Suite of environmental sensors |
| Function | Measure dust size, morphology, weather |
| Mission duration | 1 Mars year[1] |
| Properties | |
| Mass | 5.5 kg (12 lb) |
| Power consumption | 17 watts |
| Host spacecraft | |
| Spacecraft | Mars 2020Perseverance rover |
| Launch date | July 30, 2020 |
| Rocket | Atlas V 541 |
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralSLC-41 |
TheMars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) is an instrument on board theMars 2020Perseverance rover designed to characterize dust size and morphology, as well as surface weather.[2][3] This information is intended to inform future human exploration objectives, as dust sizes and shapes, daily weather reports, and information on radiation and wind patterns on Mars are critical for proper design ofin situ resource utilization systems.[2][3] MEDA is a follow-on project from REMS of theCuriosity rover mission,[4] with a larger scope.[4]
The instrument suite was developed and provided by theSpanish Astrobiology Center at theSpanish National Research Council inMadrid, Spain. On April 8, 2021, NASA reported the first MEDA weather report on Mars: for April 3–4, 2021, the high was "minus-7.6 degrees, and a low of minus-117.4 degrees ... [winds] gusting to ... 22 mph".[5]
The Principal Investigator isJosé Antonio Rodríguez Manfredi and the Deputy Principal Investigator is Manuel de la Torre Juarez (JPL-NASA).[6][7]
List of coinvestigators and their affiliations:[7]
| Nathan Bridges Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurel, Maryland | Olga Prieto-Ballesteros Instituto Nacional de Tecnica AeroespacialMadrid, Spain | Pamela Conrad NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland | |||
| Miguel Ramos Universidad de Alcala de HenaresMadrid, Spain | Javier Gomez-Elvira Instituto Nacional de Tecnica AeroespacialMadrid, Spain | Alfonso Saiz-Lopez Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasInstituto de Quimica Fisica RocasolanoMadrid, Spain | |||
| Felipe Gomez-Gomez Instituto Nacional de Tecnica AeroespacialMadrid, Spain | Agustin Sanchez-Lavega Universidad del Pais Vasco UPV/EHUBilbao, Biscay, Spain | Ari-Matti Harri Ilmatieteen LaitosHelsinki, Finland | |||
| John SchofieldNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California | Mark LemmonTexas A & M College Station, Texas | Eduardo Sebastian Instituto Nacional de Tecnica AeroespacialMadrid, Spain | |||
| German Martinez University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan | Michael Smith NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland | Sara Navarro Lopez Instituto Nacional de Tecnica AeroespacialMadrid, Spain | |||
| Leslie Tamppari NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryPasadena, California | Claire Newman Aeolis ResearchPasadena, California | ||||
Dust dominates Mars' weather the way that water dominates Earth's weather. Martian weather cannot be predicted unless dust behavior is studied and understood in the weather context.[3][8] MEDA is a suite of environmental sensors designed to record dust optical properties and six atmospheric parameters:wind speed/direction,pressure, relativehumidity, airtemperature, ground temperature, andradiation (UV, visible, and IR ranges of the spectrum).[3][9]
The technology used on MEDA was inherited from theREMS package operating on theCuriosity rover and the TWINS package onInSight lander.[2] The sensors are located on the rover's mast and on the deck, front and interior of the rover's body. It records data whether the rover is active or not, at both day and night.[9] The instruments will collect data for 5 minutes every 30 minutes.[8][needs update]
| Parameter | Performance/units[3][9] |
|---|---|
| Mass | 5.5 kg (12 lb) |
| Power | Max 17 watts |
| Data return | ≈11 megabytes |
| Temperature | accuracy: 5K resolution: 0.1 K |
| Relative humidity | accuracy of 10% in the 200-323 K range |
| Pressure | Range: 1 to 1150 Pa accuracy: 20 Pa resolution: 0.5 Pa |
| Radiation | eight upward looking photodiodes: • 255 +/– 5 nm for the O3 |
| Wind | accuracy: 2 m/sec resolution: 0.5 m/sec |
| Payloads | .jpg) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rover instruments | |||||||
| Features | |||||||
| Proposed landing sites |
| ||||||
| Related | |||||||
