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Curiosity's rover environmental monitoring station: Overview of the first 100 sols
Author(s) -
GómezElvira Javier,
Armiens Carlos,
Carrasco Isaías,
Genzer Maria,
Gómez Felipe,
Haberle Robert,
Hamilton Victoria E.,
Harri AriMatti,
Kahanpää Henrik,
Kemppinen Osku,
Lepinette Alain,
Martín Soler Javier,
MartínTorres Javier,
MartínezFrías Jesús,
Mischna Michael,
Mora Luis,
Navarro Sara,
Newman Claire,
Pablo Miguel A.,
Peinado Verónica,
Polkko Jouni,
Rafkin Scot C. R.,
Ramos Miguel,
Rennó Nilton O.,
Richardson Mark,
RodríguezManfredi José A.,
Romeral Planelló Julio J.,
Sebastián Eduardo,
Torre Juárez Manuel,
Torres Josefina,
Urquí Roser,
Vasavada Ashwin R.,
Verdasca José,
Zorzano MaríaPaz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9100
pISSN - 2169-9097
DOI - 10.1002/2013je004576
Subject(s) - curiosity , astrobiology , environmental monitoring , environmental science , remote sensing , computer science , geology , psychology , biology , environmental engineering , neuroscience
In the first 100 Martian solar days (sols) of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) measured the seasonally evolving diurnal cycles of ultraviolet radiation, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, ground temperature, relative humidity, and wind within Gale Crater on Mars. As an introduction to several REMS‐based articles in this issue, we provide an overview of the design and performance of the REMS sensors and discuss our approach to mitigating some of the difficulties we encountered following landing, including the loss of one of the two wind sensors. We discuss the REMS data set in the context of other Mars Science Laboratory instruments and observations and describe how an enhanced observing strategy greatly increased the amount of REMS data returned in the first 100 sols, providing complete coverage of the diurnal cycle every 4 to 6 sols. Finally, we provide a brief overview of key science results from the first 100 sols. We found Gale to be very dry, never reaching saturation relative humidities, subject to larger diurnal surface pressure variations than seen by any previous lander on Mars, air temperatures consistent with model predictions and abundant short timescale variability, and surface temperatures responsive to changes in surface properties and suggestive of subsurface layering.