The technology of Vaisala and the FMI on the way to Mars aboard the NASA Perseverance Mars Rover

Space-proof technology from Vaisala

BAROCAP wafer

MEDA HS development

The international collaboration brings Vaisala and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) aboard NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover to Mars. The scheduled launch of the rover is planned for July 30, 2020. Vaisala's sensor technology will be used in combination with FMI's measurement instruments to obtain accurate and reliable pressure and humidity data from the surface of the Red Planet.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (Finnish Meteorology Institute, FMI) is one of the scientific partners providing measurement devices for the new rover called Perseverance, which is launching in July and is expected to reach Mars in February 2021. The pressure and humidity measurement devices developed by FMI are based on well-known Vaisala sensor technology and are similar to those sent to Mars in 2012 with the first Curiosity rover, but more advanced.

The new deployment equipment complements the Curiosity rover. During their work on Mars, the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers will form a small-scale observation network. This network is only the first step in anticipation of the extensive observation network planned for Mars in the future.

International and scientific cooperation aims at insights into the Martian atmosphere and other environmental conditions

The Mars 2020 mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. To gather data about the surface of the Red Planet, NASA selected trusted partners who provided the measurement instruments for installation on the Mars rover. A European consortium led by Spain provides the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) for the rover; a series of sensors that measure temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity, as well as dust size and shape.

As part of the consortium, FMI provides measurement instruments based on Vaisala's high-quality sensors for humidity and pressure measurements for MEDA.

"Both Mars and Venus, the other sister planet of Earth, resemble Earth. Therefore, they are particularly important areas of research regarding atmospheric studies. Studying Mars also helps us better understand the behavior of Earth's atmosphere," explains Maria Genzer, head of the Planetary Research and Space Technology group at FMI.

The harsh and demanding conditions on Mars require the most reliable sensor technology that can deliver accurate and reliable data without maintenance or repairs.

"We are honored that Vaisala's core sensor technologies have been chosen to provide precise and reliable measurements on Mars. The mission aligns with our mission to enable observations for a better world. We look forward to being part of this collaboration and hope that our measurement technology will serve as tools in the search for answers to the most urgent challenges of our time, such as climate change," says Liisa Åström, Vice President of Products and Systems at Vaisala.

Same technology, different planet - using Vaisala core technologies for measurement accuracy and long-term stability

With Vaisala's HUMICAP® and BAROCAP® sensors, NASA will be able to obtain precise pressure and humidity measurements under the extreme conditions of the Martian atmosphere. Thanks to their long-term stability and accuracy, as well as their ability to tolerate dust, chemicals, and harsh environmental conditions, these sensors are suitable for very demanding measurement tasks, even in space. The same technology is used in numerous industrial and environmental applications such as weather stations, radiosondes, greenhouses, and data centers.

The humidity measurement device MEDA HS, developed by FMI for Perseverance, uses standard Vaisala HUMICAP® humidity sensors. HUMICAP® is a capacitive thin-film polymer sensor consisting of a substrate coated with a thin polymer film between two conductive electrodes. The onboard humidity sensor is a new-generation sensor that performs excellently even under the low-pressure conditions expected on the red planet.

In addition to humidity measurements, FMI has developed a pressure measurement device, MEDA PS, which uses application-specific Vaisala BAROCAP® pressure sensors optimized for operation in the Martian climate. BAROCAP® is a micromechanical silicon-based pressure sensor that offers reliable performance in a variety of applications, from meteorology to pressure-sensitive industrial equipment in the semiconductor industry and laboratory pressure standard measurements. By combining two powerful technologies—monocrystalline silicon material and capacitive measurement—BAROCAP® sensors feature low hysteresis combined with excellent accuracy and long-term stability, both essential for measurements in space.

"Our sensor technologies are used in a variety of demanding everyday measurement environments here on Earth. So why not also on Mars? Because if our measurement technology works on Mars, it works everywhere," concludes Åström.

Is anyone out there? Yes, us! Join our live webcast to learn more!

You are cordially invited to learn more about space-hardy technology, how it works, and its significance, as well as why measurements play a key role in space research. You will hear examples and stories from our experts and a special guest speaker sharing their own experiences and insights about space.

Date: July 20, 2020
Time: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Virtual event

The event is organized by Vaisala and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. It will be conducted in English and is free of charge.

Learn more about space-ready technology before the event by visiting vaisala.com/space and follow the discussion on social media with #spacetechFI.