Page 13 - Industrial Technology EXTRA - 6th July 2020

instruments for installation on the Mars rover. A provides accurate and reliable data without
Spanish-led European consortium provides the maintenance or repair. "We are honored that
rover with Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer Vaisala’s core sensor technologies have been
(MEDA); a set of sensors that provides selected to provide accurate and reliable
measurements of temperature, wind speed and measurement data on Mars. In line with our mission
direction, pressure, relative humidity, and the to enable observations for a better world, we are
amount and size of dust particles. excited to be part of this collaboration. Hopefully
As part of the consortium, FMI delivers the measurement technology will provide tools for
instrumentation to MEDA for humidity and pressure finding answers to the most pressing challenges of
measurements based on Vaisala’s top quality our time, such as climate change,” says Liisa
sensors. “Mars, as well as Venus, the other sister Åström, Vice President, Products and Systems of
planet of Earth, is a particularly important area of Vaisala.
atmospheric investigations due to its similarities to
Earth. Studying Mars helps us also better Accurate readings
understand the behavior of Earth’s atmosphere”, In the extreme conditions of the Martian
comments Maria Genzer, Head of Planetary atmosphere, NASA will be able to obtain accurate
Research and Space Technology group at FMI. readings of pressure and humidity levels with
The harsh and demanding conditions of Mars Vaisala’s HUMICAP and BAROCAP sensors. The
require the most reliable sensor technology that sensors' long-term stability and accuracy, as well as

July 2020 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA! • p13