Phoenix Mars Mission and Finnish Meteorological Institute

Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, delivered the high technology pressure measuring device for the Phoenix Mars Lander for Martian atmospheric pressure measurements. The pressure device is part of the Meteorological Station provided by the Canadian Space Agency, CSA. Phoenix is a very important mission for Martian atmospheric science due it operates in the northern polar region of the Mars that has never before fully investigated.

The pressure devices that FMI have build are efficient, light weighted, and space qualified pressure instruments and they are a result of many years of development work. The main benefit of the FMI pressure sensor device is its small size, the whole instrument weights only 26 grams.

Finnish Meteorological Institute was responsible for manufacturing and testing the pressure device. The device is based on the Vaisala Oy sensor technology and components for the instrument were delivered by the Micro Analog Systems Oy and Selmic Oy.