MarsTem measurements during mid-cruise checkout
Date: 22 June 2016
Satellite: Schiaparelli
Copyright: ESA/Roscosmos/ExoMars/DREAMS/ASI/CISAS UniPD/INAF-OAC/
This figure shows measurements taken on 16 June 2016 with the MarsTem sensor on DREAMS, during the mid-cruise checkout.
DREAMS (Dust Characterisation, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface), is a science payload on the ExoMars Schiaparelli module.
DREAMS consists of a suite of sensors to measure the local wind speed and direction (MetWind), humidity (DREAMS-H), pressure (DREAMS-P), atmospheric temperature close to the surface (MarsTem), the transparency of the atmosphere (Solar Irradiance Sensor, SIS), and atmospheric electric fields (Atmospheric Radiation and Electricity Sensor; MicroARES) at Mars. The payload will land on Mars on 19 October and will operate on the surface of Mars for 2–8 sols.
The MarsTem sensor is located in the body of the Schiaparelli module, an area that is not warmed during the journey to Mars. Temperatures in that enclosure can vary, as can be seen by comparing this graph to measurements taken in April. The temperatures measured by MarsTem contrast with the 5°C - 20°C measured in the warm compartment where the electronics boxes are housed.
MarsTem is provided by CISAS, Università di Padova, Italy.
