When NASA's Perseverance rover lands on the surface of the Red Planet next Thursday, key Airbus technology will be on board. The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyser (MEDA) meteorological station, designed and built by Airbus, will provide scientists with valuable Mars weather data. The High Gain Antenna System (HGAS), also designed and built by the company, will ensure a high-speed comms link with Earth for the duration of the MARS2020 mission. Perseverance will use seven scientific instruments, including MEDA, to study the Martian biological and geological environment. The MEDA instrument will measure many environmental parameters using sensors distributed across the rover: wind speed and direction, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, soil and air temperatures, solar radiation and also properties of suspended dust. These parameters will also be key when making the autonomous decision to release the Ingenuity helicopter on board the rover. MEDA is the third Martian environmental station led by Airbus demonstrating its expertise in this field. The first was on board the Curiosity rover in 2012, known as REMS (Rover Environmental Monitoring Station), and the second on InSight in 2018, called TWINS (Temperature and Wind for InSight). Both were successful NASA / JPL missions. All data from Perseverance’s discoveries will be sent to Earth through the HGAS, based on an X-band transmitting and receiving antenna that will allow high speed data communications. The antenna, based on microstrip technology, has been developed in-house. It is protected from dust to maintain clean conditions and thermal stability. The antenna will directly send scientific data generated by the different instruments and information on the health status of the rover, without the need for intermediate links (e.g. orbiters). In addition, the vehicle will receive daily instructions from Earth with the tasks of the day. As the antenna is steerable, it can send a “beam” of information pointing directly at the Earth without moving the vehicle, which contributes to energy savings. The extreme thermal excursions on Mars required qualification of the antenna system at temperatures ranging from -135ºC to + 90ºC with exhaustive thermal fatigue tests. This will be Airbus' second HGAS antenna system on Mars, with the first still operating flawlessly on board Curiosity eight years later. Mars2020 is the most ambitious mission ever sent to Mars as it will examine Martian rock and soil in greater detail than ever before in search of evidence of past life on the planet and store, for their subsequent return to Earth, signs or traces of past life (bio-signatures). Likewise, it will characterise the geological processes that make up the surface, and will measure the daily and seasonal evolution of the processes occurring in the Martian atmosphere, including the characterisation of suspended dust. Perseverance will also test technologies to help pave the way for future human exploration of Mars, such as generating oxygen from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or the first flight of a small helicopter on another planet.
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Malaysia will equip one of its Lekiu-class frigates with the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), an anti-ship surface-to-surface missile developed by…
The U.S. Army has awarded L3Harris Technologies full-rate Manpack and Leader radio production orders under the Handheld, Manpack & Small…
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Airbus Helicopters secured 455 gross orders (450 net) in 2024, demonstrating robust market growth with notable demand for its light,…
Piaggio Aerospace, encompassing Piaggio Aero Industries and Piaggio Aviation, has signed a preliminary contract to transfer its business complexes to…
Calian Group Ltd. has announced the appointment of Major-General (Ret.) Roch Pelletier to the newly established position of Regional Vice…
Airnguru, a provider of airline fare management and pricing optimisation solutions, has announced significant financial progress and growth milestones. The…
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The Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD has signed a contract worth about $80 million with Elbit Systems for the development…
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Leonardo, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment (MISA), and General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding…
Airbus delivered 766 commercial aircraft to 86 customers around the world in 2024. The commercial aircraft business registered 878 gross…
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has concluded the Service Life Extension Programme (SLEP) for its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30MKM…
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The delivery of Elbit Systems PULS artillery systems and the company's Hermes -900 UAV to Serbia is expected to begin…
Indonesian private defence firm PT Sentra Surya Ekajaya (PT SSE) has introduced a new version of its P2 Tiger 4×4…
Schiebel has been awarded a new multi-year contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide services using the…
BlackSky Technology Inc. has shipped its first Gen-3 satellite to launch provider Rocket Lab. The satellite is scheduled to be…
SITA and Cathay Pacific have entered a new agreement aimed at significantly boosting network bandwidth at Cathay Pacific’s airports. The…
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $270 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to integrate next-generation infrared defensive sensors…
Malaysia Airlines, in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM), has launched a Private Terminal Transfer Service aimed at providing seamless and…
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