RIMFAX
Mars rover-bound radar imager / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Radar Imager for Mars' subsurface experiment (RIMFAX) is a ground-penetrating radar on NASA's Perseverance rover, part of the Mars 2020 mission. It uses radar waves to see geologic features under the surface.
Operator | NASA |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Norwegian Defence Research Establishment |
Instrument type | Ground-penetrating radar |
Function | Study subsurface structure |
Properties | |
Mass | 3 kg (6.6 lb) |
Dimensions | 19.6 × 12.0 × 0.66 cm |
Power consumption | Max: 10 watts |
Resolution | 15 cm to 30 cm (3" to 12") |
Host spacecraft | |
Spacecraft | Perseverance |
Operator | NASA |
Launch date | 30 July 2020, 11:50:00 UTC |
Rocket | Atlas V |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 |
COSPAR ID | 2020-052A |
The device can make detections perhaps dozens of meters/yards underneath ground, such as for buried sand dunes or lava feature.[1] During development a detection range of about 10 yards/meters was targeted, and tests on glaciers were successful.[2]
RIMFAX takes its name from Hrímfaxi, the horse in Norse mythology that "faithfully brings the night."[3]
The radar will operate at radio frequencies of 150–1200 MHz and will use a Bow-Tie Slot antenna.[2]