Saltation on Mars and expected lifetime of Viking 75 wind sensors
Abstract
With the use of the wind-tunnel measurements of Bagnold and Zingg, a model is developed for estimating the parameters that describe the flux of sand on Mars. Application of this model to the sensor-breakage problem indicates that the expected lifetime on Mars of the wind sensors of the Viking 75 Meteorology Instrument System is about 40 earth years. This expected lifetime is adequate for both the primary Viking 75 mission and for a proposed extended mission.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- December 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975STIN...7612922H
- Keywords:
-
- Mars (Planet);
- Viking Mars Program;
- Wind Measurement;
- Anemometers;
- Sands;
- Wind Tunnels;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration