Thermo-mechanical design of a particle analyzer for Mars

Abstract

Airborne dust monitoring is crucial to characterize Martian atmosphere' thermal structure, balance and dynamics. In order to achieve this objective, the MicroMED instrument has been preliminary selected to join the Dust Suite payload within the ExoMars 2020 mission. The particle analyzer is mainly developed to characterize the dust on Mars but, the instrument is suitable to be mounted on different landers or rovers thanks to the limited mass budget and size. In this study, thermo-mechanical design of the instrument has been reported proving resistance and proper dynamic behavior for the expected mechanical environment.