The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) instrument onboard Mars 2020

Abstract

The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) is a suite of environmental sensors onboard NASA's Mars 2020 mission. The Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS), developed at Centro de Astrobiología of Spain, is one of the six sensors comprising MEDA, and it will measure the net thermal infrared radiation and reflected solar radiation at the surface, as well as the atmospheric and surface skin temperatures using five different channels. In combination with other MEDA's sensors, TIRS will allow the quantification of the surface energy budget and the determination of key geophysical properties of the terrain such as the albedo and thermal inertia. Here we present, a general description of the TIRS, describe its scientific requirements, its mechanical and thermal design and show the results of initial tests performed on the TIRS.