In February 2021, NASA's Mars 2020 Rover is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet. The spacecraft will have the capability to capture imagery and sound as the Mars 2020 vehicle descends through the Martian atmosphere and lands on the surface of Mars. To capture sounds from the Red Planet for the first time ever, the Mars 2020 Rover will be outfitted with a selection of equipment from DPA Microphones.

DPA's d:dicate 4006 Omnidirectional Microphone will capture the high-quality audio while the MMA-A Digital Audio Interface will be used to record and send audio to a computer through its USB connection. Both mics will be paired with MMP-G Modular Active Cables, which act as ultra-transparent preamplifiers.

The Mars 2020 spacecraft is currently being assembled at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California and the DPA products will be installed onto the vehicle in early 2019.

DPA won the contract from JPL based on its products ability to perform under demanding environments and the ability to deliver industry standard communication interfaces. DPA microphones can withstand the extreme conditions associated with space travel, leave a small footprint and connect to a computer with a USB interface.

"These products will be in space indefinitely, which is a testament to DPA's quality and resiliency," says Rene Morch, product manager at DPA Microphones. "We are honored to be a part of this mission."

The trip to Mars is expected to take seven months and will subject the Rover to extreme temperatures (environments could be -100 degrees Celsius/-148 degrees Fahrenheit), travel pressure both in and out of the atmosphere and intense vibrations associated with traveling in a rocket.

The spacecraft design team has created a specialized enclosure to mount the MMA-A interface inside the rover chassis and in cooperation with JPL/NASA, the DPA R and D team created a custom MMP-G amplifier housing to bolt onto the exterior of the Rover. The microphone will allow the public as well as project engineers and scientists to hear sounds as the Rover descends to the surface of Mars.

Related Links
DPA Microphones
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Mars 2020 rover mission camera system 'Mastcam-Z' testing begins at ASU
Tempe AZ (SPX) Dec 06, 2018
Arizona State University research technician and Mars 2020 Mastcam-Z calibration engineer Andy Winhold waited patiently on the loading dock of ASU's Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV in anticipation of the arrival of a very special delivery. On board the delivery truck was precious cargo from Malin Space Science Systems, a test model of "Mastcam-Z," the mast-mounted camera system for NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission. Mastcam-Z is being designed, built and tested under the directi ... read more