Science Instruments: In-situ Instrumentation

In-situ instrumentation enables the collection of Mars data from the surface. Below are examples of the way in which the Mars Science Laboratory mission benefits from past technological development and contributes new capabilities.

Mars Science Laboratory will truly be a chemistry laboratory on wheels. Going beyond just having a very powerful "fistful" of instruments as Spirit and Opportunity do, Mars Science Laboratory will also take samples onboard and analyze them. Some instruments on Mars Science Laboratory inherited a good deal of technology from their predecessors on the Mars Exploration Rovers, but they are, indeed, "next generation" in terms of capability.

Mast Camera:
While the Mast Camera (MastCam) will serve many of the same purposes as its predecessor (the Panoramic Camera) on the Mars Exploration Rovers, it will also feature some important new capabilities. The camera will have a be able to acquire data - including video - at a high rate of speed and store it in its own memory. Compression and sampling of images will be performed entirely using only MastCam resources, not taking up memory in the rover's "brain." The stereo, multi-spectral, and zoom images, in conjunction with high-definition (HD) video and stereo video, will allow enhanced scientific studies of landscape physiography and processes, properties of rocks and fines, and views of frost, ice, and related processes where applicable. The video capabilities will also provide unprecedented observations of atmospheric and meteorological events including clouds, dust-devils, wind transport of surface materials, and rover trenching.

Mars Hand Lens Imager:
The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) is a new device that will allow earthbound geologists to see martian features smaller than the diameter of a human hair, including close-up views of minerals, textures and structures in martian rocks and the surface layer of rocky debris and dust. If scientists are able to see the fine detail of martian rocks and soil, they can better predict their formation and whether or not their environment was ripe for life. MAHLI is an evolutionary advancement of the Mars Exploration Rover microscopic imager (MI), providing higher resolution imagery as well as less complex operations. The highest resolution represents a 2.4 times improvement over Spirit and Opportunity's capabilities.

Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction:
The Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction (CheMin) instrument represents a major advancement in identifying martian minerals. After the rover prepares a rock sample, CheMin will then direct a beam of X-rays as fine as a human hair through the powdered material. Because all minerals diffract X-rays in a characteristic pattern and all elements emit X-rays with a unique set of energy levels, scientists will use the information from X-ray diffraction to identify the crystalline structure of materials the rover encounters on Mars.
These analyses will assist in the assessment of water history and the search for possible signatures of life. The instrument can identify and quantify all minerals in complex natural samples (including basalts) and soils.

ChemCam:
The Laser-Induced Remote Sensing for Chemistry and Micro-Imaging (ChemCam) represents the first active remote-sensing device sent to Mars. The camera portion of the instrument will capture high-resolution images five to ten times as sharp as those returned by the panoramic camera aboard the Mars Exploration Rovers.
The ChemCam allows for a much more rapid analysis of targets, and results will allow planners to make much more informed decisions about examining targets in further detail.

Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Suite
The Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Suite (SAM) represents a major step forward in addressing the potential for life on the red planet. It will search for compounds of the element carbon (including methane) that are associated with life and explore ways in which they are generated and destroyed in the martian ecosphere.
Actually a suite of three instruments, including a mass spectrometer, gas chromatograph, and tunable laser spectrometer, Sample Analysis at Mars will also look for and measure the abundances of other light elements, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, associated with life.

Radiation Assessment Detector:
The Radiation Assessment Detector will be one of the first instruments sent to Mars specifically to prepare for future human exploration. The instrument will be the first detector on the surface of Mars to characterize the full radiation environment including galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, secondary neutrons, and other particles created both in the atmosphere and in the martian soil. Before humans ever set foot on the red planet, we must understand the effects of radiation at the surface.

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons:
The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument will provide the first surface means of detecting neutron emissions that escape as cosmic rays from space bombard the martian surface. It is a way of detecting hydrogen and, thus, the possible presence of water). Traditionally, this capability has been on board spacecraft orbiting Mars. This instrument will provide local ground measurements to compare to what has been detected from orbit.

Rover Environmental Monitoring Station:
The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) will provide a daily report of atmospheric weather conditions on Mars, including atmospheric pressure, humidity, ultraviolet radiation from the sun, wind speed, wind direction, ground temperature, and air temperature. Water vapor observations will provide the first in situ measurement of near surface humidity, potentially yielding insights into surface-atmosphere exchange and atmospheric condensation processes. Finally, monitoring of changes in ultraviolet radiation - which will be the first ones to be taken on the surface - will provide important information necessary to assess the habitability of the near surface environment.

Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer:
The The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will measure the abundance of chemical elements in rocks and soils. The APXS will be placed in contact with rock and soil samples, exposing them to alpha particles and X-rays emitted by the radioactive decay of the curium sources. The X-ray counts and energies measured by the APXS detector will enable scientists to identify all important rock-forming elements, from sodium to heavier elements. This is an improved design compared to the APXS instruments on Spirit and Opportunity, requiring a shorter amount of time to take a measurement.

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