MEDA HS: Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover

Maria Hieta; Maria Genzer; Jouni Polkko; Iina Jaakonaho; Shahin Tabandeh; Andreas Lorek; Stephen Garland; Jean Pierre de Vera; Erik Fischer; Germán M. Martínez; Ari Matti Harri; Leslie Tamppari; Harri Haukka; Matias Meskanen; Manuel de la Torre Juárez; José Antonio Rodriguez Manfredi

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590

MEDA HS: Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover

Maria Hieta^*, Maria Genzer, Jouni Polkko, Iina Jaakonaho, Shahin Tabandeh, Andreas Lorek, Stephen Garland, Jean Pierre de Vera, Erik Fischer, Germán M. Martínez, Ari Matti Harri, Leslie Tamppari, Harri Haukka, Matias Meskanen, Manuel de la Torre Juárez, José Antonio Rodriguez Manfredi

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) provides a relative humidity measurement sensor (HS) for NASA's Mars 2020 rover. The sensor is a part of the Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer (MEDA), a suite of environmental sensors provided by Spain's Centro de Astrobiología. The main scientific goal of the humidity sensor is to measure the relative humidity of the Martian atmosphere near the surface and to complement previous Mars mission atmospheric measurements for a better understanding of Martian atmospheric conditions and the hydrological cycle. Relative humidity has been measured from the surface of Mars previously by Phoenix and Curiosity. Compared to the relative humidity sensor on board Curiosity, the MEDA HS is based on a new version of the polymeric capacitive humidity sensor heads developed by Vaisala. Calibration of humidity devices for Mars conditions is challenging and new methods have been developed for MEDA HS. Calibration and test campaigns have been performed at the FMI, at University of Michigan and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin to achieve the best possible calibration. The accuracy of HS and uncertainty of the calibration has been also analysed in detail with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Assessment of sensor performance after landing on Mars confirms that the calibration has been successful, and the HS is delivering high quality data for the science community.

Original language	English
Article number	105590
Journal	Planetary and Space Science
Volume	223
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590
Publication status	Published - 15 Nov 2022
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

Maria Hieta, Iina Jaakonaho and Ari-Matti Harri are thankful for the Finnish Academy grant #310509. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (JPL), under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004). The JPL co-authors acknowledge funding from NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Science Mission Directorate. Germán Martínez wants to acknowledge JPL funding from USRA Contract Number 1638782.

Keywords

Atmosphere
Calibration
Humidity sensor
Mars
Relative humidity

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Hieta, M., Genzer, M., Polkko, J., Jaakonaho, I., Tabandeh, S., Lorek, A., Garland, S., de Vera, J. P., Fischer, E., Martínez, G. M., Harri, A. M., Tamppari, L., Haukka, H., Meskanen, M., de la Torre Juárez, M., & Rodriguez Manfredi, J. A. (2022). MEDA HS: Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Planetary and Space Science, 223, Article 105590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590

@article{af18f1723c364712a25d14e983e76def,

title = "MEDA HS: Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover",

abstract = "The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) provides a relative humidity measurement sensor (HS) for NASA's Mars 2020 rover. The sensor is a part of the Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer (MEDA), a suite of environmental sensors provided by Spain's Centro de Astrobiolog{\'i}a. The main scientific goal of the humidity sensor is to measure the relative humidity of the Martian atmosphere near the surface and to complement previous Mars mission atmospheric measurements for a better understanding of Martian atmospheric conditions and the hydrological cycle. Relative humidity has been measured from the surface of Mars previously by Phoenix and Curiosity. Compared to the relative humidity sensor on board Curiosity, the MEDA HS is based on a new version of the polymeric capacitive humidity sensor heads developed by Vaisala. Calibration of humidity devices for Mars conditions is challenging and new methods have been developed for MEDA HS. Calibration and test campaigns have been performed at the FMI, at University of Michigan and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin to achieve the best possible calibration. The accuracy of HS and uncertainty of the calibration has been also analysed in detail with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Assessment of sensor performance after landing on Mars confirms that the calibration has been successful, and the HS is delivering high quality data for the science community.",

keywords = "Atmosphere, Calibration, Humidity sensor, Mars, Relative humidity",

author = "Maria Hieta and Maria Genzer and Jouni Polkko and Iina Jaakonaho and Shahin Tabandeh and Andreas Lorek and Stephen Garland and \{de Vera\}, \{Jean Pierre\} and Erik Fischer and Mart{\'i}nez, \{Germ{\'a}n M.\} and Harri, \{Ari Matti\} and Leslie Tamppari and Harri Haukka and Matias Meskanen and \{de la Torre Ju{\'a}rez\}, Manuel and \{Rodriguez Manfredi\}, \{Jos{\'e} Antonio\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2022",

month = nov,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590",

language = "English",

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Hieta, M, Genzer, M, Polkko, J, Jaakonaho, I, Tabandeh, S, Lorek, A, Garland, S, de Vera, JP, Fischer, E, Martínez, GM, Harri, AM, Tamppari, L, Haukka, H, Meskanen, M, de la Torre Juárez, M & Rodriguez Manfredi, JA 2022, 'MEDA HS: Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover', Planetary and Space Science, vol. 223, 105590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590

TY - JOUR

T1 - MEDA HS

T2 - Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover

AU - Hieta, Maria

AU - Genzer, Maria

AU - Polkko, Jouni

AU - Jaakonaho, Iina

AU - Tabandeh, Shahin

AU - Lorek, Andreas

AU - Garland, Stephen

AU - de Vera, Jean Pierre

AU - Fischer, Erik

AU - Martínez, Germán M.

AU - Harri, Ari Matti

AU - Tamppari, Leslie

AU - Haukka, Harri

AU - Meskanen, Matias

AU - de la Torre Juárez, Manuel

AU - Rodriguez Manfredi, José Antonio

PY - 2022/11/15

Y1 - 2022/11/15

N2 - The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) provides a relative humidity measurement sensor (HS) for NASA's Mars 2020 rover. The sensor is a part of the Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer (MEDA), a suite of environmental sensors provided by Spain's Centro de Astrobiología. The main scientific goal of the humidity sensor is to measure the relative humidity of the Martian atmosphere near the surface and to complement previous Mars mission atmospheric measurements for a better understanding of Martian atmospheric conditions and the hydrological cycle. Relative humidity has been measured from the surface of Mars previously by Phoenix and Curiosity. Compared to the relative humidity sensor on board Curiosity, the MEDA HS is based on a new version of the polymeric capacitive humidity sensor heads developed by Vaisala. Calibration of humidity devices for Mars conditions is challenging and new methods have been developed for MEDA HS. Calibration and test campaigns have been performed at the FMI, at University of Michigan and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin to achieve the best possible calibration. The accuracy of HS and uncertainty of the calibration has been also analysed in detail with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Assessment of sensor performance after landing on Mars confirms that the calibration has been successful, and the HS is delivering high quality data for the science community.

AB - The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) provides a relative humidity measurement sensor (HS) for NASA's Mars 2020 rover. The sensor is a part of the Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer (MEDA), a suite of environmental sensors provided by Spain's Centro de Astrobiología. The main scientific goal of the humidity sensor is to measure the relative humidity of the Martian atmosphere near the surface and to complement previous Mars mission atmospheric measurements for a better understanding of Martian atmospheric conditions and the hydrological cycle. Relative humidity has been measured from the surface of Mars previously by Phoenix and Curiosity. Compared to the relative humidity sensor on board Curiosity, the MEDA HS is based on a new version of the polymeric capacitive humidity sensor heads developed by Vaisala. Calibration of humidity devices for Mars conditions is challenging and new methods have been developed for MEDA HS. Calibration and test campaigns have been performed at the FMI, at University of Michigan and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin to achieve the best possible calibration. The accuracy of HS and uncertainty of the calibration has been also analysed in detail with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Assessment of sensor performance after landing on Mars confirms that the calibration has been successful, and the HS is delivering high quality data for the science community.

KW - Atmosphere

KW - Calibration

KW - Humidity sensor

KW - Mars

KW - Relative humidity

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85140650760

U2 - 10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590

DO - 10.1016/j.pss.2022.105590

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85140650760

SN - 0032-0633

VL - 223

JO - Planetary and Space Science

JF - Planetary and Space Science

M1 - 105590

ER -

MEDA HS: Relative humidity sensor for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover

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