Humidity sensors that function under extreme conditions are needed in experimental chambers as well as for humidity measurements on Mars. Such a sensor was already used in a chamber at the German Aerospace Center and is well characterized, however this sensor is no longer in production and has been replaced by a new generation, requiring verification of the new sensor under extreme conditions. The results show that the new sensor is suitable for measurements under Martian atmospheric conditions.

Ecosystems are sensitive to human presence. Robotic solutions greatly reduce related bias. We present an autonomous, modular aquatic robotic platform to collect environmental information from surface waters with autonomous navigation, data collection capability and sensor setups. The platform demonstrated its capabilities on Amazon Basin and on European lakes. Reproducible positioning, functionality under adverse weather conditions and during nighttime enhanced high-quality data acquisition.

A new magnetic observatory has been set on La Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. This observatory is isolated and serves for monitoring the evolution of the magnetic field in that region. It is also particularly useful for large scale modelling of the core field and other contributions to the geomagnetic field. The magnetic field strength and direction are measured every second, transmitted every 5 minutes to IPGP main site and made immediately available to users (see www.bcmt.fr).