Feasibility Design of MiLi, a Miniaturized Lidar for Mars Observation

Abstract

This work describes the feasibility design of MiLi, a miniaturized lidar under development to operate on Mars. Atmospheric lidars could be employed to study atmospheric dust and ice-based clouds, but typically those types of instruments exhibit considerable mass and are characterized by high power consumption, so they cannot be easily retrofitted aboard landers. The MiLi project, funded by the European Union, aims to develop a compact, lightweight lidar for detailed atmospheric analysis of the Red Planet. The development of this instrument, which seeks to overcome the typical limitations of lidars, may increase the availability of this type of remote sensing technology in the context of planetary missions and wants to deliver precise characterization of Martian atmospheric dust and ice-based clouds. The feasibility study encompasses the design requirements, material selection, and evaluation of different design configurations to ensure the instrument's performance and survival in extreme conditions, posing the basis for the development of the instrument's mechanical architecture. Overall design procedure was based on the trade-off between the mass budget and the instrument performances. Assessment of the mechanical resistance was performed by using quasi-static and modal numerical analyses.