Characterization and performances of the WISDOM ground penetrating radar for the ExoMars 2020 mission

Abstract : In this paper, we present the results of the tests and characterizations performed on the WISDOM/ExoMars 2020 radar that has been delivered for integration on the Rosalind Franklin mission rover. While the impact of the rover will be determined after a dedicated series of measurements performed at Airbus’s premises in Stevenage, reference measurements (in free-space and with specific targets) have been acquired and are currently taken into account in the data processing pipeline. Calibrated data are obtained that make possible a quantitative analysis of the amplitude of the received signals, especially of the surface echo, which is used to get an estimate of the permittivity value in the subsurface top layer. Results on the achieved vertical resolution will be presented too.