ChemCam on MSL 2009: first laser induced breakdown spectrometer for space science
Conference
·
OSTI ID:960530
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
ChemCam is one of the 10 instrument suites on the Mars Science Laboratory, a martian rover being built by Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for the next NASA mission to Mars (MSL 2009). ChemCam is an instrument package consisting of two remote sensing instruments: a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) and a Remote Micro-Imager (RMI). LIBS provides elemental compositions of rocks and soils, while the RMI places the LIBS analyses in their geomorphologic context. Both instruments rely on an autofocus capability to precisely focus on the chosen target, located at distances from the rover comprised between 1 and 9 m for LIBS, and 2 m and infinity for RMI. ChemCam will help determine which samples, within the vicinity of the MSL rover, are of sufficient interest to use the contact and in-situ instruments for further characterization. It will provide valuable analyses of samples that are inaccessible to contact and in-situ instruments, and of a much larger number of samples than can be done with this kind of instrument. ChemCam also has a capability to provide passive spectroscopy data of rocks and soils on Mars. ChemCam hardware consists of a Mast Unit (MU), provided by France, and a Body Unit (BU) built and tested in the USA. The Flight Model of the MU is assembled, tested and now available in the USA, while the BU is currently being assembled and tested. Both will be connected by the end of year '08 for end-to-end functional and performance tests, before delivery to JPL and assembly on the MSL rover. Launch is scheduled for October 09. After describing the concept of ChemCam, this presentation focuses on its French part, Mast Unit. The results presented show that Mast Unit is able to generate a plasma and collect its light, over the full applicable ranges of distances and temperatures on Mars.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 960530
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-08-06030; LA-UR-08-6030
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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