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MET Station – Lidar

Looking at Martian Climate and Weather, Canadian Style

Phoenix works like a robotic scientist searching for water in the soil, analyzing the chemical and mineralogical makeup of the terrain, and studying the atmosphere. Canada's meteorological station (MET) sits on the spacecraft's table-like deck. Using a laser instrument and a suite of temperature, wind and pressure sensors, the MET will track daily weather patterns and seasonal climate changes on Mars.

Weather Instrument Package:

Lidar – A laser weather watcher

Working with Toronto-based Optech, MDA Space Systems of Brampton, Ontario, is the prime contractor for the shoebox-sized Light Detection and Ranging instrument. The lidar's pencil-think laser shoots rapid pulses of light into the atmosphere, which bounce off passing clouds and dust overhead. The pulses of light are then reflected back to a 10-centimetre optical telescope that is part of the lidar system. The data helps determine the composition, movement, and size of clouds and particles above the lander.

To be able to pierce through most of the thin atmosphere, the laser is fixed in an upward-pointing orientation and works at two wavelengths so that it can give accurate measurements of cloud height to within 10 metres. The Canadian science team expects to run the laser for 15 minutes periods four times daily in order to determine what time of day clouds begin to form around the landing site, and find out if clouds form at various altitudes at certain times of the day. Though it only requires the power of a 30-watt light bulb (with a maximum capacity peaking at 40 watts), the lidar can shoot 20 kilometres high into the Martian atmosphere.

By scanning and probing the Martian polar sky in such detail from the ground for the first time, Canadian researchers are expecting to see a variety of atmospheric activity in greater detail than ever before. They'll look at ice and dust clouds, ground fog, and maybe see a few surprises such as dust devils across the landing site. Researchers hope to use this unique data from the Red Planet's polar region to create a clearer picture of how water cycles between surface ice and vapour in the atmosphere.