Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) is an instrument on board the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover that will characterize the dust size and morphology, as well as surface weather.^[2][3] Specifically, the information obtained will help address future human exploration objectives, as dust sizes and shapes, daily weather report and information on the radiation and wind patterns on Mars, that are critical for proper design of in situ resource utilization systems.^[2][3] MEDA is a follow-on project from REMS, of the Curiosity rover mission.^[4] MEDA has an increased scope, with greater data collection on Mars dust which contributes to overall Mars program objectives and discovery goals.^[4]

Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer

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 2020 Perseverance rover
Launch date	July 30, 2020
Rocket	Atlas V 541
Launch site	Cape Canaveral SLC-41

REMS instrument on Mars

The instrument suite was developed and provided by the Spanish Astrobiology Center at the Spanish National Research Council in Madrid, 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]

Scientific team members

The Principal Investigator is José 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 Laboratory Laurel, Maryland		Olga Prieto-Ballesteros Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial Madrid, Spain		Pamela Conrad NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland
Miguel Ramos Universidad de Alcala de Henares Madrid, Spain		Javier Gomez-Elvira Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial Madrid, Spain		Alfonso Saiz-Lopez Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Instituto de Quimica Fisica Rocasolano Madrid, Spain
Felipe Gomez-Gomez Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial Madrid, Spain		Agustin Sanchez-Lavega Universidad del Pais Vasco UPV/EHU Bilbao, Biscay, Spain		Ari-Matti Harri Ilmatieteen Laitos Helsinki, Finland
John SchofieldNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California		Mark LemmonTexas A & M College Station, Texas		Eduardo Sebastian Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial Madrid, Spain
German Martinez University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan		Michael Smith NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland		Sara Navarro Lopez Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial Madrid, Spain
Leslie Tamppari NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California			Claire Newman Aeolis Research Pasadena, California

Overview

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, relative humidity, air temperature, ground temperature, and radiation (UV, visible, and IR ranges of the spectrum).^[3][9]

The technology used on MEDA was inherited from the REMS package operating on the Curiosity rover and the TWINS package on InSight 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]

Parameter	Performance/units[3][9]
Mass	5.5 kg (12 lb)
Power	Max 17 watts
Data return	≈11 megabytes
Temperature	accuracy: 5 K 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 • 295 +/– 5 nm for the O3 • 250–400 nm for total UV • 450±40 nm for MastCam-Z cross-calibration • 650 +/– 25 nm for SuperCam cross-calibration • 880 +/–5 nm for MastCam-Z cross-calibration • 950 +/– 50 nm for NIR • one panchromatic (300-1000 nm) filter
Wind	accuracy: 2 m/sec resolution: 0.5 m/sec

Meda components

Various components of MEDA highlighted in this graphic of planned devices for the Perseverance rover

See also

• Martian soil (aka regolith)
• Atmosphere of Mars
• Materials Adherence Experiment (1996 Mars dust experiment on Mars Pathfinder)