Rover Environmental Monitoring Station

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Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)
Pia19164-main rems from pia19142.jpg
REMS on Mars
Operator NASA / JPL
Manufacturer Spanish Astrobiology Center (CSIC-INTA)
Instrument typeweather station
Host spacecraft
Spacecraft Curiosity rover
OperatorNASA / JPL
Temperatures on Mars from REMS on the Curiosity Rover (August 16/17, 2012). PIA16081-Mars Temp Graph-Curiosity Rover-REMS-20120821.jpg
Temperatures on Mars from REMS on the Curiosity Rover (August 16/17, 2012).

Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) is a weather station on Mars for Curiosity rover contributed by Spain and Finland. [1] [2] REMS measures humidity, pressure, temperature, wind speeds, and ultraviolet radiation on Mars. [3] This Spanish project is led by the Spanish Astrobiology Center and includes the Finnish Meteorological Institute as a partner, [4] [5] contributing pressure and humidity sensors. [4] [6]

Contents

MSL Rover Environmental Monitoring Station MSL Rover Environmental Monitoring Station.jpg
MSL Rover Environmental Monitoring Station
Closeup of a REMS sensor MSL Rover Environmental Monitoring Station Crop.PNG
Closeup of a REMS sensor

Overview

All sensors are located around three elements: two booms attached to the rover Remote Sensing Mast (RSM), the Ultraviolet Sensor (UVS) assembly located on the rover top deck, and the Instrument Control Unit (ICU) inside the rover. Goals include understanding Martian general circulation, microscale weather systems, local hydrological cycle, destructive potential of UV radiation, and subsurface habitability based on ground-atmosphere interaction. [4] [5]

By August 18, 2012, REMS was turned on and its data was being returned to Earth. [2] The temperature at that time was 37 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 degrees Celsius). [2] On August 21, 2012, one of two anemometers returned data with errors. After testing it was concluded that it was broken, probably hit by a rock on descent. [7] Martian winds can still be detected with the other sensor. [7]

Reports are posted on the Center for Astrobiology website and Twitter daily. [8] [9]

Parts of REMS [10]

The pressure sensor can detect pressures from 1 to 1150 Pa (Pascal) (0.000145038 PSI to 0.1667934 PSI). [11] For comparison, 1 atmosphere is 101,325 Pascals or 14.7 PSI. [12]

The air temperature, wind speed and direction sensor for InSight Mars lander (planned for 2018 launch) is based on REMS, also contributed by Spain. [13]

Results

Graph of temperatures at Gale crater PIA16913-MarsCuriosityRover-SteadyTemperature-GaleCrater.jpg
Graph of temperatures at Gale crater

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Spain Supplies Weather Station for Next Mars Rover - Marsdaily". Archived from the original on 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  2. 1 2 3 "Curiosity's Mars travel plans tentatively mapped - CBS News". web.archive.org. August 18, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Rover Environmental Monitoring Station for MSL mission" (PDF). 4th International workshop on the Mars Atmosphere: modelling and observations. Pierre und Marie Curie University. February 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
  4. 1 2 3 "MSL Science Corner: Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)". NASA/JPL. Archived from the original on March 20, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Mars Science Laboratory Fact Sheet" (PDF). NASA/JPL. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Finnish technology lands on Mars - UUTISET". Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  7. 1 2 "Materia - El sensor de viento español de 'Curiosity' se estropea (Google Translate)". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  8. ↑ "Mars Weather". Archived from the original on 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2012-08-23. Center for Astrobiology
  9. ↑ "Mars Weather". Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. REMS on Twitter
  10. ↑ "Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)". Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  11. ↑ "Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)". an.rsl.wustl.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  12. ↑ "The MSDS HyperGlossary: Pressure Unit Conversions". www.ilpi.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-14. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  13. ↑ "InSight: A Geophysical Mission to a Terrestrial Planet Interior" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-15.
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