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Home , Curiosity (rover), Mars 96, Phoenix (spacecraft)

To and Beyond: A History of Vaisala in Space

Space continues to fascinate the human consciousness, you only have to look at the success of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens for evidence of that. Here at Vaisala, our interest in space extends beyond science fiction.

Vaisala sensors are currently being a number of factors that make discovery of water on the planet - used in the ’s investigating planets such as Mars aided by Vaisala technology - has a ExoMars Mission that was launched worthwhile. Exploring space fosters significant bearing on the possibil- in 2016, which has sent to innovation and international collabo- ity that it once, or perhaps even Mars in order to assess the planet’s ration, brings us closer to knowing still does, support life. It has also environment and pave the way for whether life away from and been revealed that levels future exploration, and the Mars satisfies human’s innate desire to on Mars do not pose a significant Rover, which has already explore and understand the world health threat to humans, keeping made a number of groundbreaking around us. the possibility of manned explo- discoveries on the Red Planet. Investigating Mars is particularly ration of the planet open in the These are not the only occa- important, as the planet’s similarities future. sions on which Vaisala technology to Earth could help us better under- has gone into space, as we have a stand the challenges we face here on Vaisala on the Red Planet long history of providing sensors for Earth such as climate change. , dating all the way This has been highlighted by How exactly is Vaisala helping to back to the 1950s. Ari-Matti Harri, head of the radar explore space? Since the 1990s, our and space technology research divi- barometric pressure and humidity Why Go to Mars? sion at the Finnish Meteorological sensors have been used in mis- Institute (FMI) - a long-term partner sions to Mars and beyond, helping ExoMars is the 44th attempted Mars of Vaisala - who stated: “By studying scientists gain into the Mission, with the first a failed Soviet the simplified, dynamically Earth- atmosphere to better understand attempt back in 1960. Since then, like, atmosphere [on Mars] we can outer space and whether planets 23 missions have reached the Red potentially learn something that we like Mars have ever, or still do, Planet successfully, with Vaisala might miss on Earth because of the support life. technology used in several of these. effects of water systems, vegetation, Why is Vaisala technology For example, our sensors were part and high humidity levels.” utilized in space exploration? Our of the Curiosity mission, Missions to Mars have already technology is extremely stable and which discovered the first evidence yielded a number of important this is vital due to the extreme envi- of liquid in 2015. discoveries. We now know that ronmental conditions that are expe- What do we stand to gain from the planet’s climate has altered rienced in space. Vaisala sensors investigating space? There are dramatically over time, while the are able to withstand extreme heat

8 198/2016 and cold and are highly tolerant of shaking and vibration. It is this high level of stability that ensures they can deliver accurate readings of organizations first partnered in on Vaisala sensors to the University the real changes taking place in the 1998. In 2015, the Rover Curiosity of Arizona-led Mars environment on other planets. found the first evidence of liquid mission. The project was the first water on Mars, representing one successful landing in a Martian From Sputnik to Saturn of the most significant discoveries region and provided scientists with made on Mars to date. The mission a number of insights into the climate At Vaisala, we are proud to have been has also discovered that Mars once and of this part of the planet. involved in space exploration since contained the chemical elements, Among Phoenix’s discoveries its beginnings in the 1950s. Back in such as , nitrogen, , were the presence of snow and ice at 1957, we converted the frequency phosphorus and , needed to Mars’ pole and the presence of the of a radiotheodolite to help track sustain life as we know it. Further- chemical , which is used Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial more, it has provided details of as food by some bacterial lifeforms satellite, the launch of which repre- the planet’s radiation levels, which on Earth. Such discoveries provided a sented a pivotal point in the history will prove vital information for any more detailed understanding of Mars’ of space exploration. future manned missions. climate and weather, and further Since then, we have been The rover is still active on the evidence that the planet may have involved in a number of fascinating Red Planet and the mission, which supported life at some point. missions, providing technology to was originally scheduled for just help understand the universe around two years, has been extended Cassini Mission to Titan us. indefinitely, with NASA saying it has the potential to continue providing Mars is not the only planet visited Mars Rover Curiosity data for 55 years. The launching of by Vaisala technology. Our pressure another rover is planned for 2020. sensors were part of NASA’s Cassini Vaisala provided the FMI with mission which was launched in 1997, pressure and humidity sensors for Phoenix Mars Lander and in 2005 achieved the first ever the Mars Rover Curiosity that was landing on a moon in the outer solar launched in 2011, representing the In 2007, the FMI contributed a pres- system: Titan, the largest moon of fifth venture into space since the sure measurement instrument based Saturn. This is one of the most ambi- »» 198/2016 9 Vaisala humidity and pressure sensors are fitted on the small weather station onboard the landing module, Schiaparelli. Picture: Thales Alenia Space/Imag[IN]

tious missions ever launched into space and is still ongoing. A number of fascinating discover- ies have been made, including the presence of frozen water on Ence- ladus (another of Saturn’s moons), the possible birth of a new moon orbiting Saturn and the existence of geologic processes similar to that of Earth on Titan. As the first mission of its kind, lessons learned from Cassini will have a huge influence on future attempts to explore the outer solar system.

Space Life Science Research have not reached their destinations tures of the spacecraft’s design have or the goals of the missions. In 1996, since been proposed for a number of Since 1992, scientists at BioServe several Vaisala sensors were included other potential Mars missions. Space Technologies at the Univer- in a Russian mission Mars96, which sity of Colorado have been using launched unsuccessfully. Highly What Might the Vaisala’s , humidity, ambitious at the time, aimed Future Hold? and temperature sensors to control to assess the evolutionary history of life science experiments both Mars’ surface, atmosphere, and inner At Vaisala, we are proud to have sup- onboard space shuttle flights and at structure. The technology used in the ported space exploration efforts for the International Space Station. This project has influenced a number of the past 50 years. A number of mis- allows for the regulation of plant subsequent missions, including the sions are planned between 2018 and growth and animal habitat environ- ongoing , which is the 2020, including the second stage of ments and the study of how they second longest surviving, continually ExoMars, but what might the future are influenced by microgravity. The active spacecraft in orbit around a hold for the science? It is hoped that findings of such research is vital in planet other than Earth. these projects will pave the way for determining if food and life support Three years later in 1999, eventual manned missions to the Red consumables, such as water and four pressure sensors and Vaisala Planet, which would then open up oxygen, can ever be produced on thermocaps were included in NASA a whole host of new opportunities board space shuttles, which is neces- . It reached Mars ranging from establishing a perma- sary if manned flights to Mars and successfully, but failed on landing. nent colony to mining the planet’s long-distance space exploration are Several of the instruments developed mineral resources for use on Earth. to become a reality. for this mission were later utilized in Whatever the future holds for Over the years, Vaisala’s legacy the Phoenix Mars Lander mission. space exploration, Vaisala will con- sensors have been replaced with In 2003, a mission called British tinue lending our expertise and pro-

GMM220 series CO2 modules and had Vaisala’s pressure viding sensor technology that helps HMP110 humidity and tempera- sensor, thermocap and Capic circuit to unlock the secrets of the universe ture probes. However, the original onboard. It reached Mars, but suf- around us. sensors continue to deliver reason- fered a communications failure. Fea- able readings, which is testament to their stability and durability in ExoMars to Reach Mars in October 2016 extreme conditions. The latest Mars mission is called ExoMars, and it is realized jointly by European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia’s Sometimes Learning . Launched in March 2016, it has already travelled is All You Get a majority of its nearly 500 million km journey to Mars. It should reach its destination on October 19, 2016. Vaisala sensors have also been included in several missions that

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