Thermal calibration of the MEDA-TIRS radiometer onboard NASA's Perseverance rover

This article describes a comprehensive testing method for the thermal calibration of Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) onboard NASA's Perseverance rover. Ground-based IR detectors operating at surface Mars are subjected to inaccuracies caused by inclusion gradients in their packages. To reduce such uncertainties, it is necessary compensate effects. Here, details TIRS thermo-mechanical design and simplified mathematical model (TMM) that accounts presence detector's package provided. Then, set equations estimation compensation proposed based on results TMM. tests identify estimators analyzed, providing test setups highlighting limitations restrictions. Finally, experimental presented, along with uncertainty sources potential systematic errors associated gradients. The presented here show significant improvement accuracy versus previous work, thus fulfilling radiometer scientific requirements 2020 science team.