Performance analysis of the MEDA's Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) on board the Mars 2020

Abstract

The Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS), an infrared (IR) radiometer developed at Centro de Astrobiología, is one the sensors that compose the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) onboard NASA's Mars 2020 mission. It will measure the net thermal infrared radiation, reflected solar radiation at the surface, atmosphere temperature and surface skin brightness temperature using five different channels. The present paper provides a brief description on TIRS design and channels requirements. Then, a detailed presentation of sensor model equations and a sensitivity analysis to model uncertainties are included. Finally, accuracy and resolution calculus for each channel versus operational temperature is presented. The calculus is performed based on sensitivity equations and the estimated values for different uncertainties sources.