Location
Radisson Resort at the Port, Convention Center, Jamaica Room
Start Date
2-5-2001 2:00 PM
Description
The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment electrometer is an instrument intended to fly on a future Mars lander mission. The electrometer was designed primarily to investigate (1) the electrostatic interaction between the Martian soil and five different types of insulators attached to the electrometer, which are to be rubbed over the Martian soil. The MECA Electrometer is also capable of measuring (2) the presence of charged particles in the Martian atmosphere, (3) the local electric field strength, and (4) the local temperature. We have tested and evaluated the measurement capabilities of the MECA Electrometer under simulated Martian surface conditions using facilities located in the Electromagnetic Physics Testbed at KSC. The results of the study have demonstrated that rubbing an insulator over the Martian soil simulant does triboelectrically charge up the insulator's surface. However, the charge buildup on an insulator was found to be as low as 1% of the current maximum range of the electrometer when it is rubbed through Martian soil. This indicates that the overall gain of the MECA Electrometer could be increased by a factor of 50, if measurements at the 50% level of full-range sensitivity are desired. The ion gauge, which detects the presence of charged particles, was also evaluated over the pressure range 13 - 533 mbar, and results will be presented.
Paper Session II-B - Performance Status of the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment Electrometer
Radisson Resort at the Port, Convention Center, Jamaica Room
The Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment electrometer is an instrument intended to fly on a future Mars lander mission. The electrometer was designed primarily to investigate (1) the electrostatic interaction between the Martian soil and five different types of insulators attached to the electrometer, which are to be rubbed over the Martian soil. The MECA Electrometer is also capable of measuring (2) the presence of charged particles in the Martian atmosphere, (3) the local electric field strength, and (4) the local temperature. We have tested and evaluated the measurement capabilities of the MECA Electrometer under simulated Martian surface conditions using facilities located in the Electromagnetic Physics Testbed at KSC. The results of the study have demonstrated that rubbing an insulator over the Martian soil simulant does triboelectrically charge up the insulator's surface. However, the charge buildup on an insulator was found to be as low as 1% of the current maximum range of the electrometer when it is rubbed through Martian soil. This indicates that the overall gain of the MECA Electrometer could be increased by a factor of 50, if measurements at the 50% level of full-range sensitivity are desired. The ion gauge, which detects the presence of charged particles, was also evaluated over the pressure range 13 - 533 mbar, and results will be presented.
