Persona: Gómez, Felipe
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Centro de Astrobiologia
El Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) es un centro mixto de investigación en astrobiología, dependiente tanto del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA) como del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).
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Felipe
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Publicación Acceso Abierto Surface Energy Budget, Albedo, and Thermal Inertia at Jezero Crater, Mars, as Observed From the Mars 2020 MEDA Instrument(AGU Advancing Earth and Space Science, 2023-02) Martínez, Germán M.; Sebastián, E.; Vicente Retortillo, Álvaro; Smith, Michael D.; Johnson, J. R.; Fischer, E.; Savijärvi, H.; Toledo, D.; Hueso, R.; Mora Sotomayor, L.; Gillespie, H.; Munguira, A.; Sánchez Lavega, Agustín; Lemmon, M. T.; Gómez, Felipe; Polkko, J.; Mandon, Lucía; Apéstigue, Víctor; Arruego, Ignacio; Ramos, Miguel; Conrad, Pamela G.; Newman, C. E.; De la Torre Juárez, M.; Jordan, Francisco; Tamppari, L. K.; McConnochie, Tim H.; Harri, Ari-Matti; Genzer, María; Hieta, M.; Zorzano, María-Paz; Siegler, M.; Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Molina, A.; Rodríguez Manfredi, J. A.; Comunidad de Madrid; Universities Space Research Association (USRA); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Gobierno Vasco; Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA); Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) on board Perseverance includes first-of-its-kind sensors measuring the incident and reflected solar flux, the downwelling atmospheric IR flux, and the upwelling IR flux emitted by the surface. We use these measurements for the first 350 sols of the Mars 2020 mission (Ls ∼ 6°–174° in Martian Year 36) to determine the surface radiative budget on Mars and to calculate the broadband albedo (0.3–3 μm) as a function of the illumination and viewing geometry. Together with MEDA measurements of ground temperature, we calculate the thermal inertia for homogeneous terrains without the need for numerical thermal models. We found that (a) the observed downwelling atmospheric IR flux is significantly lower than the model predictions. This is likely caused by the strong diurnal variation in aerosol opacity measured by MEDA, which is not accounted for by numerical models. (b) The albedo presents a marked non-Lambertian behavior, with lowest values near noon and highest values corresponding to low phase angles (i.e., Sun behind the observer). (c) Thermal inertia values ranged between 180 (sand dune) and 605 (bedrock-dominated material) SI units. (d) Averages of albedo and thermal inertia (spatial resolution of ∼3–4 m2) along Perseverance's traverse are in very good agreement with collocated retrievals of thermal inertia from Thermal Emission Imaging System (spatial resolution of 100 m per pixel) and of bolometric albedo in the 0.25–2.9 μm range from (spatial resolution of ∼300 km2). The results presented here are important to validate model predictions and provide ground-truth to orbital measurements.Publicación Restringido Effect of impact shock on extremophilic Halomonas gomseoemensis EP-3 isolated from hypersaline sulphated lake Laguna de Peña Hueca, Spain(Elsevier BV, 2020-11-01) Thombre, R. S.; Gómez, Felipe; Parkhe, R.; Kaur, K.; Vaishampayan, P.; Shivakarthik, E.; Sivaraman, B.; Perumal, R.; Mason, N.; European Commission (EC); Gómez, F. [0000-0001-9977-7060]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737The geologic histories of planetary surfaces reveal that Earth and Mars have been pummeled by cataclysmic impact events. The surface of Mars has been perused to have an impact origin for its hemispheric dichotomy. The spallation during impact events causes the interplanetary transfer of material from Mars to Earth or Mars to Phobos/Deimos. Assessing the survival of micro-organisms in impact conditions is critical for the development of planetary protection strategies for future missions. Shock waves are generated during such major impact events. The objective of the present investigation was to explore the microbial diversity of the hypersaline sulphated Laguna de Peña Hueca, Spain and to study the effect of shock waves on extremophilic bacteria isolated from the lake. Peña Hueca is a hypersaline sulphated lagoon rich in Mg–Na–SO4–Cl, epsomite and hexahydrate and it potentially serves as Planetary field analogue site for Martian chloride deposits and salt-rich subsurface brines of Ocean worlds like Enceladus and Europa. The microbial community structure of the lagoon was studied by 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing. The phylogenetic studies indicated the presence of phyla Euryarchaeota, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroides in the hypersaline brines of the lagoon. The anoxic sediments of Peña Hueca showed the presence of Haloanaerobiaeta and Hadesarchaeota including the anoxic genus of Haloanaerobium, Desulfosalsimonas and Desulfovermiculum. The effect of impact shock on the halophilic bacterium Halomonas gomseomensis EP-3 isolated from Laguna de Peña Hueca was studied in a Reddy shock tube. The halophilic bacterium was exposed to shock waves at a peak shock pressure of 300 kPa and a temperature of 400 K. The results of shock recovery experiments of halophilic bacteria reveal 97% killing at 300 kPa and Mach number of 1.47 in comparison with Bacillus sp. This study indicates that gram-positive spore-forming Bacillus sp. are better adapted to survival in impact shock waves in comparison to non-sporulating halophiles. In the current study, we present the first report on response of halophiles in impact shock. Furthermore, we demonstrate a novel application of the simple handheld Reddy shock tube in astrobiology. The survival studies of halophiles isolated from terrestrial analogue sites in impact shock can provide valuable insights in astrobiology and microbial physiology in impact shock stress.Publicación Acceso Abierto Visualizing Microorganism-Mineral Interaction in the Iberian Pyrite Belt Subsurface: The Acidovorax Case(Extreme Microbiology, 2020-11-26) Escudero, C.; Del Campo, Adolfo; Ares, J. R.; Sánchez, C.; Martínez Lozano, José Manuel; Gómez, Felipe; Amils Pibernat, R.; Lorente Sánchez, Cristina; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Martínez, J. M. [0000-0003-3954-2985]; Escudero, C. [0000-0003-1240-4144]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737Despite being considered an extreme environment, several studies have shown that life in the deep subsurface is abundant and diverse. Microorganisms inhabiting these systems live within the rock pores and, therefore, the geochemical and geohydrological characteristics of this matrix may influence the distribution of underground biodiversity. In this study, correlative fluorescence and Raman microscopy (Raman-FISH) was used to analyze the mineralogy associated with the presence of members of the genus Acidovorax, an iron oxidizing microorganisms, in native rock samples of the Iberian Pyrite Belt subsurface. Our results suggest a strong correlation between the presence of Acidovorax genus and pyrite, suggesting that the mineral might greatly influence its subsurface distribution.Publicación Restringido Photogeologic Map of the Perseverance Rover Field Site in Jezero Crater Constructed by the Mars 2020 Science Team(Springer Link, 2020-11-03) Stack, K. M.; Williams, N. R.; Calef, F. J.; Sun, V. Z.; Williford, K. H.; Farley, K. A.; Eide, S.; Flannery, D.; Hughes, C.; Jacob, S. R.; Kah, L. C.; Meyen, F.; Molina, A.; Quantin Nataf, C.; Rice, M.; Russel, P.; Scheller, E.; Seeger, C. H.; Abbey, W. J.; Adler, J. B.; Amudsen, H.; Anderson, R. B.; Ángel, S. M.; Arana, G.; Atkins, J.; Barrington, M.; Berger, T.; Borden, R.; Boring, B.; Brown, A.; Carrier, B. L.; Conrad, Pamela G.; Dypvik, H.; Fagents, S. A.; Gallegos, Z. E.; Garczynski, B.; Golder, K.; Gómez, Felipe; Goreva, Y.; Gupta, S.; Hamran, S. E.; Hicks, T.; Hinterman, E. D.; Horgan, B. N.; Hurowitz, J.; Johnson, J. R.; Lasue, J.; Kronyak, R. E.; Liu, Y.; Madariaga, J. M.; Mangold, N.; McClean, John; Miklusicak, N.; Nunes, D.; Rojas, C.; Runyon, Kirby; Schmitz, N.; Scudder, N.; Shaver, E.; SooHoo, J.; Spaulding, R.; Stanish, E.; Tamppari, L. K.; Tice, M. M.; Turenne, N.; Willis, P. A.; Aileen Yingst, R.; European Research Council (ERC); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Molina, A. [0000-0002-5038-2022]; Hughes, C. [0000-0002-7061-1443]; Jacob, S. [0000-0001-9950-1486]; Arana, Gorka [0000-0001-7854-855X]; Sun, V. Z. [0000-0003-1480-7369]; Stack, K. [0000-0003-3444-6695]; Williford, K. [0000-0003-0633-408X]; Flannery, D. [0000-0001-8982-496X]; Gupta, S. [0000-0001-6415-1332]; Williams, N. [0000-0003-0602-484X]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica Centro de Astrobiología María de Maeztu del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landing site is located within Jezero crater, a similar to 50 km diameter impact crater interpreted to be a Noachian-aged lake basin inside the western edge of the Isidis impact structure. Jezero hosts remnants of a fluvial delta, inlet and outlet valleys, and infill deposits containing diverse carbonate, mafic, and hydrated minerals. Prior to the launch of the Mars 2020 mission, members of the Science Team collaborated to produce a photogeologic map of the Perseverance landing site in Jezero crater. Mapping was performed at a 1:5000 digital map scale using a 25 cm/pixel High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) orthoimage mosaic base map and a 1 m/pixel HiRISE stereo digital terrain model. Mapped bedrock and surficial units were distinguished by differences in relative brightness, tone, topography, surface texture, and apparent roughness. Mapped bedrock units are generally consistent with those identified in previously published mapping efforts, but this study's map includes the distribution of surficial deposits and sub-units of the Jezero delta at a higher level of detail than previous studies. This study considers four possible unit correlations to explain the relative age relationships of major units within the map area. Unit correlations include previously published interpretations as well as those that consider more complex interfingering relationships and alternative relative age relationships. The photogeologic map presented here is the foundation for scientific hypothesis development and strategic planning for Perseverance's exploration of Jezero crater.Publicación Acceso Abierto The dynamic atmospheric and aeolian environment of Jezero crater, Mars(Science Publishin Group, 2022-05-25) Newman, C. E.; Hueso, R.; Lemmon, M. T.; Munguira, A.; Vicente Retortillo, Álvaro; Apéstigue, Víctor; Martínez, Germán M.; Toledo, D.; Sullivan, Robert; Herkenhoff, K. E.; De la Torre Juárez, M.; Richardson, M. I.; Stott, A.; Murdoch, N.; Sánchez Lavega, Agustín; Wolff, Michael; Arruego, I.; Sebastián, E.; Navarro López, Sara; Gómez Elvira, J.; Tamppari, L. K.; Smith, Michael D.; Lepinette Malvitte, A.; Viúdez Moreiras, Daniel; Harri, Ari-Matti; Genzer, María; Hieta, M.; Lorenz, R. D.; Conrad, Pamela G.; Gómez, Felipe; McConnochie, Tim H.; Mimoun, D.; Tate, C.; Bertrand, T.; Belli, J. F.; Maki, Justin N.; Rodríguez Manfredi, J. A.; Wiens, R. C.; Chide, B.; Maurice, S.; Zorzano, María-Paz; Mora Sotomayor, L.; Baker, M. M.; Banfield, D.; Pla García, J.; Beyssac, O.; Brown, Adrian Jon; Clark, B.; Montmessin, F.; Fischer, E.; Patel, P.; Del Río Gaztelurrutia, T.; Fouchet, T.; Francis, R.; Guzewich, Scott; Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Gobierno Vasco; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737Despite the importance of sand and dust to Mars geomorphology, weather, and exploration, the processes that move sand and that raise dust to maintain Mars’ ubiquitous dust haze and to produce dust storms have not been well quantified in situ, with missions lacking either the necessary sensors or a sufficiently active aeolian environment. Perseverance rover’s novel environmental sensors and Jezero crater’s dusty environment remedy this. In Perseverance’s first 216 sols, four convective vortices raised dust locally, while, on average, four passed the rover daily, over 25% of which were significantly dusty (“dust devils”). More rarely, dust lifting by nonvortex wind gusts was produced by daytime convection cells advected over the crater by strong regional daytime upslope winds, which also control aeolian surface features. One such event covered 10 times more area than the largest dust devil, suggesting that dust devils and wind gusts could raise equal amounts of dust under nonstorm conditions.Publicación Acceso Abierto Taxonomic and functional analyses of intact microbial communities thriving in extreme, astrobiology-relevant, anoxic sites(Spring Nature Research Journals, 2021-02-18) Kristin Bashir, A.; Wink, L.; Duller, S.; Schwendner, P.; Cockell, Charles S.; Rettberg, P.; Mahnert, A.; Beblo Vranesevic, K.; Bohmeier, M.; Rabbow, Elke; Gaboyer, F.; Westall, Frances; Walter, N.; Cabezas, Patricia; García Descalzo, L.; Gómez, Felipe; Malki, M.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Ehrenfreund, P.; Monaghan, E. P.; Vannier, P.; Marteinsson, V. T.; Erlacher, A.; Tanski, G.; Strauss, J.; Bashir, M.; Riedo, A.; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine; European Commission (EC); Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); Moissi Eichinger, C. [0000-0001-6755-6263]Extreme terrestrial, analogue environments are widely used models to study the limits of life and to infer habitability of extraterrestrial settings. In contrast to Earth’s ecosystems, potential extraterrestrial biotopes are usually characterized by a lack of oxygen. In the MASE project (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration), we selected representative anoxic analogue environments (permafrost, salt-mine, acidic lake and river, sulfur springs) for the comprehensive analysis of their microbial communities. We assessed the microbiome profile of intact cells by propidium monoazide-based amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing, supplemented with an extensive cultivation effort. The information retrieved from microbiome analyses on the intact microbial community thriving in the MASE sites, together with the isolation of 31 model microorganisms and successful binning of 15 high-quality genomes allowed us to observe principle pathways, which pinpoint specific microbial functions in the MASE sites compared to moderate environments. The microorganisms were characterized by an impressive machinery to withstand physical and chemical pressures. All levels of our analyses revealed the strong and omnipresent dependency of the microbial communities on complex organic matter. Moreover, we identified an extremotolerant cosmopolitan group of 34 poly-extremophiles thriving in all sites. Our results reveal the presence of a core microbiome and microbial taxonomic similarities between saline and acidic anoxic environments. Our work further emphasizes the importance of the environmental, terrestrial parameters for the functionality of a microbial community, but also reveals a high proportion of living microorganisms in extreme environments with a high adaptation potential within habitability borders.Publicación Acceso Abierto HD 213885b: a transiting 1-d-period super-Earth with an Earth-like composition around a bright (V = 7.9) star unveiled by TESS .(Oxford Academics: Blackwell Publishing, 2020-01-15) Espinoza, N.; Brahm, R.; Henning, T.; Jordán, A.; Dorn, C.; Rojas, F.; Sarkis, P.; Kossakowski, D.; Schlecker, M.; Díaz, M. R.; Jenkins, J. S.; Aguilera Gómez, C.; Jenkins, J. M.; Twicken, J. D.; Collins, K. A.; Lissauer, J. J.; Armstrong, D. J.; Adibekyan, V.; Barrado, D.; Barros, S. C. C.; Battley, M.; Bayliss, D.; Bouchy, F.; Bryant, E. M.; Cooke, B. F.; Demangeon, O. D. S.; Dumusque, X.; Figueira, P.; Giles, H.; Lillo Box, J.; Lovis, C.; Nielsen, L. D.; Pepe, Francesco; Pollacco, D.; Santos, Nuno C.; Sousa, S. G.; Udry, S.; Wheatley, Peter; Turner, O.; Marmier, M.; Ségransan, D.; Ricker, George; Latham, D.; Seager, S.; Winn, J. N.; Kielkopf, J. F.; Hart, R.; Wingham, G.; Jensen, E. L. N.; Helminiak, K. G.; Tokovinin, A.; Briceño, C.; Ziegler, C.; Law, N. M.; Mann, A. W.; Daylan, T.; Doty, J. P.; Guerrero, N.; Boyd, P.; Crossfield, I.; Morris, Robert L.; Henze, C. E.; Dean Chacon, A.; Gómez, Felipe; Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT); Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT); Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC); Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT); National Science Centre, Poland (NCN); Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS); Barrado, D. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5971-9242]; Lillo Box, J. [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3742-1987]; Díaz, M. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2100-3257]; Wheatley, P. [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1452-2240]; Nielsen, L. D. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5254-2499]; Figueira, P. [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8504-283X]; Jenssen, E. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4625-7333]; Barros, S. [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2434-3625]; Espinoza Pérez, N. [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9513-1449]; Armstrong, D. J. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5080-4117]; Bayliss, D. [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6023-1335]; Turner, O. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8216-2796]; Sousa, S. G. [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9047-2965]; Kielpof, J. F. [https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0497-2651]We report the discovery of the 1.008-d, ultrashort period (USP) super-EarthHD213885b (TOI141b) orbiting the bright (V= 7.9) star HD 213885 (TOI-141, TIC 403224672), detected using photometry from the recently launched TESS mission. Using FEROS, HARPS, and CORALIE radial velocities, we measure a precise mass of 8.8 +/- 0.6M. for this 1.74 +/- 0.05 R. exoplanet, which provides enough information to constrain its bulk composition - similar to Earth's but enriched in iron. The radius, mass, and stellar irradiation of HD 213885b are, given our data, very similar to 55 Cancri e, making this exoplanet a good target to perform comparative exoplanetology of short period, highly irradiated super-Earths. Our precise radial velocities reveal an additional 4.78-d signal which we interpret as arising from a second, non-transiting planet in the system, HD 213885c, whoseminimum mass of 19.9 +/- 1.4M. makes it consistent with being a Neptune-mass exoplanet. The HD 213885 system is very interesting from the perspective of future atmospheric characterization, being the second brightest star to host an USP transiting super-Earth (with the brightest star being, in fact, 55 Cancri). Prospects for characterization with present and future observatories are discussed.Publicación Acceso Abierto Extremofiles 2.0(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2021-04-09) Amils Pibernat, R.; Gómez, Felipe; Amils, R. [0000-0002-7560-1033]; Gómez, F. [0000-0001-9977-7060]Publicación Acceso Abierto Detection of Reduced Sulfur on Vera Rubin Ridge by Quadratic Discriminant Analysis of Volatiles Observed During Evolved Gas Analysis.(American Geophysical Union: Advancing Earth and Space Science, 2020-06-10) Wong, K. H.; Lewis, J.; Knudson, C. A.; Millan, M.; McAdam, A. C.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Andrejkovičová, S.; Gómez, Felipe; Navarro González, R.; House, C. H.; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM); Navarro González, R. [0000-0002-6078-7621]; Knudson, C. A. [0000-0003-3875-2200]; Andrejkovicova, S. [0000-0001-8429-6926]; Gómez, F. [0000-0001-9977-7060]; McAdam, A. [0000-0001-9120-2991]; House, C. [0000-0002-4926-4985]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737The Mars Science Laboratory mission investigated Vera Rubin ridge, which bears spectral indications of elevated amounts of hematite and has been hypothesized as having a complex diagenetic history. Martian samples, including three drilled samples from the ridge, were analyzed by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite via evolved gas analysis‐mass spectrometry (EGA‐MS). Here, we report new EGA‐MS data from Martian samples and describe laboratory analogue experiments. Analyses of laboratory analogues help determine the presence of reduced sulfur in Martian solid samples, which could have supported potential microbial life. We used evolved carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon disulfide (CS2) to identify Martian samples likely to contain reduced sulfur by applying a quadratic discriminant analysis. While we report results for 24 Martian samples, we focus on Vera Rubin ridge samples and select others for comparison. Our results suggest the presence of reduced sulfur in the Jura member of Vera Rubin ridge, which can support various diagenetic history models, including, as discussed in this work, diagenetic alteration initiated by a mildly reducing, sulfite‐containing groundwater.Publicación Acceso Abierto The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer, MEDA. A Suite of Environmental Sensors for the Mars 2020 Mission(Springer Link, 2021-04-13) Rodríguez Manfredi, J. A.; De la Torre Juárez, M.; Alonso, A.; Apéstigue, Víctor; Arruego, Ignacio; Atienza, T.; Banfield, D.; Boland, J.; Carrera, M. A.; Castañer, L.; Ceballos Cáceres, J.; Chen Chen, H.; Cobos, A.; Conrad, Pamela G.; Cordoba, E.; Del Río Gaztelurrutia, T.; Vicente Retortillo, Álvaro; Domínguez Pumar, M.; Espejo, S.; Fairén, Alberto G.; Fernández Palma, A.; Ferrándiz, Ricardo; Ferri, F.; Fischer, E.; García Manchado, A.; García Villadangos, M.; Genzer, María; Giménez, Á.; Gómez Elvira, J.; Gómez, Felipe; Guzewich, Scott; Harri, Ari-Matti; Hernández, C. D.; Hieta, M.; Hueso, R.; Jaakonaho, I.; Jiménez Martín, Juan José; Jiménez, V.; Larman, A.; Leiter, R.; Lepinette Malvitte, A.; Lemmon, M. T.; López, G.; Madsen, Soren N.; Mäkinen, T.; Marín Jiménez, M.; Martín Soler, J.; Martínez, Germán M.; Molina, A.; Mora Sotomayor, L.; Moreno Álvarez, J. F.; Navarro López, Sara; Newman, C. E.; Ortega, Cristina; Parrondo, María Concepción; Peinado, V.; Peña, A.; Pérez Grande, I.; Pérez Hoyos, S.; Pla García, J.; Polkko, J.; Postigo, M.; Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Rafkin, Scot C. R.; Ramos, Miguel; Richardson, M. I.; Romeral, J.; Romero Guzmán, Catalina; Runyon, Kirby; Saiz López, A.; Sánchez Lavega, Agustín; Sard, I.; Schofield, J. T.; Sebastián, E.; Smith, Michael D.; Sullivan, Robert; Tamppari, L. K.; Thompson, A. D.; Toledo, D.; Torrero, F.; Torres, J.; Urquí, R.; Velasco, T.; Viúdez Moreiras, Daniel; Zurita, S.; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); European Research Council (ERC); Gobierno Vasco; Rodríguez Manfredi, J. A. [0000-0003-0461-9815]; Saiz López, A. [0000-0002-0060-1581]; Chen, H. [0000-0001-9662-0308]; Pérez Hoyos, S. [0000-0002-2587-4682]NASA’s Mars 2020 (M2020) rover mission includes a suite of sensors to monitor current environmental conditions near the surface of Mars and to constrain bulk aerosol properties from changes in atmospheric radiation at the surface. The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) consists of a set of meteorological sensors including wind sensor, a barometer, a relative humidity sensor, a set of 5 thermocouples to measure atmospheric temperature at ∼1.5 m and ∼0.5 m above the surface, a set of thermopiles to characterize the thermal IR brightness temperatures of the surface and the lower atmosphere. MEDA adds a radiation and dust sensor to monitor the optical atmospheric properties that can be used to infer bulk aerosol physical properties such as particle size distribution, non-sphericity, and concentration. The MEDA package and its scientific purpose are described in this document as well as how it responded to the calibration tests and how it helps prepare for the human exploration of Mars. A comparison is also presented to previous environmental monitoring payloads landed on Mars on the Viking, Pathfinder, Phoenix, MSL, and InSight spacecraft.
