  The Mars Microphone is one of the five measurement techniques of SuperCam, an
improved version of the ChemCam instrument that has been functioning aboard the
Curiosity rover for several years. SuperCam is located on the Rover's Mast
Unit, to take advantage of the unique pointing capabilities of the rover's
head. In addition to being the first instrument to record sounds on Mars, the
SuperCam Microphone can address several original scientific objectives: the
study of sound associated with laser impacts on Martian rocks to better
understand their mechanical properties, the improvement of our knowledge of
atmospheric phenomena at the surface of Mars: atmospheric turbulence,
convective vortices, dust lifting processes and wind interactions with the
rover itself. The microphone will also help our understanding of the sound
signature of the different movements of the rover: operations of the robotic
arm and the mast, driving on the rough floor of Mars, monitoring of the pumps,
etc ... The SuperCam Microphone was delivered to the SuperCam team in early
2019 and integrated at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL, Pasadena, CA) with
the complete SuperCam instrument. The Mars 2020 Mission launched in July 2020
and landed on Mars on February 18th 2021. The mission operations are expected
to last until at least August 2023. The microphone is operating perfectly.
