RIMFAX
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.
RIMFAX radar imager | |
| 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. During development a detection range of about 10 yards/meters was targeted, and tests on glaciers were successful.
RIMFAX takes its name from Hrímfaxi, the horse in Norse mythology that "faithfully brings the night."
The radar will operate at radio frequencies of 150–1200 MHz and will use a Bow-Tie Slot antenna.
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