xe2x80x9cMicroMEDxe2x80x9d Optical Particle Counter: From Design to Flight Model MicroMED (Micro Martian Environmental Dust Systematic Analyzer (MEDUSA)) instrument was selected for the ExoMars 2020 mission to study the airborne dust on the red planet through in situ measurements of the size distribution and concentration. This characterization has never been done before and would have a strong impact on the understanding of Martian climate and Aeolian processes on Mars. The MicroMED is an optical particle counter that exploits the measured intensity of light scattered by dust particles when crossing a collimated laser beam. The measurement technique is well established for laboratory and ground applications but in order to be mounted on the Dust Suite payload within the framework of ExoMars 2020 mission, the instrument must be compatible with harsh mechanical and thermal environments and the tight mass budget of the mission payload. This work summarizes the thermomechanical design of the instrument, the manufacturing of the flight model and its successful qualification in expected thermal and mechanical environments.

SimulationBased Design and Optimization of Rectangular MicroCantileverBased Aerosols Mass Sensor MicroCantilever (MCL) is a thin film structure that is applied for aerosol particle mass sensing. Several modifications to the rectangular MCL (lengthtowidth ratio, slots at the anchor, serrations at its side edges) are made to deduce the role and influence of the shape of rectangular MCLbased aerosol mass sensors and reduce gas damping. A finite element fluidstructure interaction model was used to investigate the performance of MCL. It is found that (I) the mass sensitivity and quality factor decline with the increasing of lengthtowidth ratio which alters the resonant frequency of the MCL. The optimum conditions, including the lengthtowidth ratio (xcfx83lw  5) and resonant frequency (f0  540.7 kHz) of the MCL, are obtained with the constant surface area (S  45,000 xcexbcm2) in the frequency domain ranging from 0 to 600 kHz. (II) The slots can enhance the readout signal and bring a small Q factor drop. (III) The edge serrations on MCL significantly reduce the gas damping. The results provide a reference for the design of aerosol mass sensor, which makes it possible to develop aerosol mass sensor with high frequency, sensitivity, and quality.