Model Update and Surface Operation Performance of the MEDA-TIRS Radiometer Onboard NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

Abstract

We describe new updates in the data retrieval process of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer Thermal-InfraRed Sensor (MEDA-TIRS) onboard NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and analyze its performance under these new updates for the first 700 sols of this mission. The primary goal of these updates is to reduce the uncertainty in each of the quantities measured by TIRS, thereby improving its performance in measuring atmospheric and ground temperature, reflected shortwave solar radiation, and the upwelling and downwelling longwave irradiances across the entire spectrum. Our updates include results from new modeling efforts and tests conducted during the cruise and operational phase on Mars to characterize the electronic conditioning system and to calculate new noise and offset values. Based on the annual degradation rates of the TIRS channel detectors due to dust deposition, we compare projected values of resolution and accuracy to pre-flight requirements. These projections are useful for estimating the radiometer’s lifetime and for using its data in the context of the future Mars Sample Return and other future mission.