 RIMFAX radar imager | |
| Operator | NASA |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Norwegian Defence Research Establishment |
| Instrument type | Ground-penetrating radar |
| Function | Study subsurface structure |
| Properties | |
| Mass | 3 kg (6.6 lb) |
| Dimensions | 19.6 × 12.0 × 0.66 cm |
| Power consumption | Max: 10watts |
| Resolution | 15 cm to 30 cm (3" to 12") |
| Host spacecraft | |
| Spacecraft | Perseverance |
| Operator | NASA |
| Launch date | 30 July 2020, 11:50:00UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral,SLC-41 |
| COSPAR ID | 2020-052A |
TheRadar Imager for Mars' subsurface experiment (RIMFAX) is aground-penetrating radar onNASA'sPerseverance rover, part of theMars 2020 mission. It uses radar waves to see geologic features under the surface.
The device can make detections dozens of meters/yards underneath ground, such as for buried sand dunes or lava feature.[1]
RIMFAX takes its name fromHrímfaxi, the horse inNorse mythology that "faithfully brings the night."[2]
The radar operates at radio frequencies of 150–1200 MHz and uses a Bow-TieSlot antenna.[3]
RIMFAX is aground-penetrating radar, its antenna is located on the lower rear of thePerseverance rover. It is able to image different ground densities, structural layers, buried rocks,meteorites, and detectunderground water ice and saltybrine at 10 m (33 ft) depth.
Ground-penetrating radars (GPR) send radio frequencyelectromagnetic waves into the ground and then detect the reflected signals as a function of time to reveal subsurface structure as well as composition. RIMFAX is based on a number of GPR instruments developed at theNorwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI).[4] RIMFAX was selected by NASA to be one of the instruments on the Mars 2020 rover in July 2014. RIMFAX provides the science team with the capability to assess the shallow layers and their stratigraphic relationship to nearby outcrops, and thus a window into the geological history and associated environmental history.[4]
The RIMFAX instrument was developed and built by FFI, and it was delivered to NASA'sJet Propulsion Laboratory for integration with the rover in December 2018. Due to Mars's 24.5 hour long day, RIMFAX operations are shared between centers atUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and theUniversity of Oslo (UiO), swapping every two weeks.[5] The RIMFAX data is archived by NASA'sPlanetary Data System.[6] The RIMFAX principal investigator isSvein-Erik Hamran of FFI, and his team includes scientists fromNorway,Canada and theUnited States.[7]
RIMFAX employs a gatedFrequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) waveform to probe the subsurface. Gated FMCW utilizes a single antenna for both transmission and reception, quickly switching the antenna between the transmitter and the receiver. RIMFAX is commanded to acquire radar soundings every 10–20 cm along the rover's path to create two-dimensional GPR images of subsurface structure.
| Specifications | Units/performance[2][4] |
|---|---|
| Mass | 3 kg (6.6 lb) |
| Power | 5 to 10watts |
| Dimensions | 19.6 × 12.0 × 0.66 cm (7.0" × 4.7" × 2.4") |
| Data return | 5 to 10kbytes per sounding location |
| Frequency range | 150 to 1200MHz |
| Vertical resolution | 15 cm to 30 cm (6" to 12") |
| Penetration depth | ≤10 m (33 ft) |
| Measurement interval | Every 10 cm (3.9 in) |
An engineering model of RIMFAX was tested in several locations, primarily inSvalbard, and in theUS Southwest. Modelling was carried out withgprMax, anopen sourceelectromagnetic simulation tool, to assess the imaging potential at the landing site.[8][9] During development a detection range of about 10 yards/meters was targeted, and tests on glaciers were successful.[3]
Other Mars radar experiments includeSHARAD,MARSIS, andWISDOM.[10]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Since the rover will be working on Mars time, in which the days are 24.5 hours long, responsibility for the operation of RIMFAX will pingpong between Norway and UCLA every two weeks.
Anticipated Release Date - 08/20/2021
The first release of PDS data will be on August 20, 2021.
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